Divinity: A day in the life
by Nebelflecke
Summary: A small collection of extra chapters set in the Divinity series's timeline. Note: Plotless. These are short stories that can be read and enjoyed on its own without necessarily follow the series. **The Divinity Series is a long story and it's rated M.
1. The secret is in the details

_Divinity – A day in the life_

 _The secret is in the details - Extra Chapter_

* * *

After a very long and hectic shift at the hospital, Mamoru tiredly dragged his feet through the last stretch of the hallway and stood in front of his apartment door while he looked for his door keys in his duffle bag. The handsome young man usually changed his dark green scrubs for casual clothes before leaving the hospital but this time, all he wanted to do, was to get home as fast as possible and drink something warm and cozy to fight the chill that had been following him like a ghost since his shift ended.

With a long heavy sigh of relief, he found the shiny keychain and proceeded to unlock his door and pushed it open with so much laziness and walked inside feeling like he was about to collapse any second now. With that same uncharacteristic manner, he kicked it closed carelessly and went straight to his kitchen to put the coffee machine to work while he took a hot shower and wash away the stress and tiredness from his muscles; it was then, when he noticed he was not alone when he saw it was already on and brewing a fresh batch of coffee and turned to find Usagi sitting in the middle of his living room surrounded by layers and layers of scrapes of wrapping paper and tissue, huffing with exasperation while she tried to untangle yards of sparkly ribbon, "U-Usa?"

Usagi propped her head up and blinked genuinely surprised, "Mamo-chan! Hi!"

"Hi," Mamoru walked to the living room and let his duffle bag fall to the floor as he looked at the swarm of paper scattered all over with a face of pure confusion, "What are you doing?"

Usagi blew her bangs a little overwhelmed by the crazy amounts of unrolled wrapping paper, "I was trying to secretly wrap some Christmas presents..." she sighed heavily, "But, no matter how much I try, I just can't do it right... this isn't my forte," she tilted her head and looked at him with curious eyes, "Coming or leaving?"

Mamoru smiled and walked into the living room, careful enough not to step on the many boxes and paper invading his living room and crouched in front of his loving girlfriend to greet her with a soft kiss on her forehead, "Coming..."

"You just got out? It's 8 a.m." Usagi's eyes widened with surprise, Mamoru nodded tiredly, "I had to take an extra shift and stayed on guard duty all night... winter is a high season for doctors..."

Usagi looked at him with tenderness as she flicked his hair away from his azure eyes. It wasn't new to her, this crazy schedule of his. While it was very rare to meet under these circumstances where he had to take the night shift and she was there to greet him when he got home, since she was on winter break from college she could take some liberties with her time, this being the perfect opportunity to wrap some presents, but finding out Mamoru had to take an extra shift at the hospital again was not what caught Usagi's attention but how he dragged every word and the unusual low and heavy tone in his voice.

Mamoru looked beyond tired; his handsome face showed the clear effects of a person who had been awake for the last 24+ hours with little to no time to rest, to take a proper nap, or to eat something. He was uncharacteristically pale; his always loving and playful blue eyes were adorned with puffy under eye bags and the darkest circles she's seen. His lips looked dry and his hair was noticeably disheveled probably from running his fingers through it countless times, a common gesture from him when he was tired or frustrated about something. His usual sharp intuition and sardonic personality were nowhere to be found either, instead, Usagi noticed he was slightly confused and irritated, giving her the hint that something was not quite right with him. She has been part of this routine of his long enough to understand this was what his life had to be since he returned from Harvard and aimed for a position at the highly respected Toranomon Tokyo Hospital. There was no doubt that he was going the extra mile with his studies and work—he had a goal and Usagi knew he wasn't going to stop until he accomplished every single one of them, with her, by his side, but now, his extra efforts were starting to get the best of him.

The silver-blonde frowned when she saw him trying his best to keep his balance, barely awake and half-conscious, "Mamo-chan?"

"Hmm..."

"Are you okay?"

"Mhmm..."

"You sure?"

"Mhmm... just... very... very... tired,"

Usagi cupped his cheek with her hand and widened her eyes with concern, then quickly placed her other hand on his forehead just to confirm her suspicions and pulled back, "Mamo-chan... you are burning with fever!"

"No..." Mamoru shook his head with great denial then frowned confused, "Am I?"

"Yes!"

"No... it's because I just came from the cold... it's normal... this is normal..."

"What? That doesn't make any sense, this isn't normal... you're a doctor, you should know this." Usagi quickly pulled back his green and blue plaid scarf he had badly wrapped around his neck and pulled off his black coat, "Alright, Chiba Mamoru—you need to take off those stiff and cold scrubs and put something cozier and warmer..." she patted his arm, "Come on,"

"I'm not sick... Usa," a flushed Mamoru tried to focus his gaze on the blonde moving in front of him but in his poor attempts, he lost his balance and fell backward with a groan; Usagi leaned closer and frowned, "You were saying?"

"I'm not sick..."

Usagi sighed and stood up, "Yeah, you keep saying yourself that..."

"I'm not sick..."

Usagi stood behind him and channeled her Sailor Moon strength and started to pull him from his arms all the way to his bedroom; Mamoru frowned but couldn't focus his gaze on his freakishly strong girlfriend, "W-What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I am taking care of you," Usagi grunted as she continued dragging him to his bedroom and took a deep breath once they were inside, "Thank goodness for having hardwood floors—you're so heavy..." Mamoru furrowed his brows together, trying his best to process what was happening, "W-What?"

Usagi took another deep breath and stopped once inside his bedroom, "Okay," she took a look around and let go of his arms and remembered all this things Ikuko did whenever she or Shingo got sick and went straight to one of his dressers in his closet to get a pair of flannel pajama pants she was sure he had because it had been a gift from her, a thick sweatshirt and clean underwear—cozy socks included and put them on the bed before going into the bathroom to fix a shower for him. After a couple of minutes, she walked back into the bedroom and saw he was still lying on the floor, "Mamo-chan... I need you to help me, please stand up,"

"I'm good here,"

"Mamo-chan..."

"I just need to sleep for a little while... here is good,"

"On the cold, stiff floor... seriously?"

"I've slept in worse conditions, it's fine..."

Usagi sighed, "Mamo-chan..."

"I'm not sick..."

"Mamoru!"

Mamoru opened his eyes and turned to look at her with wide eyes. It was so rare to hear Usagi use his name without any suffix or endearing nicknames and while she barely ever did it, whenever she did, it was because she was being serious about something—very serious. Usagi sighed and shook her head, "What is the matter with you doctors? You help sick people all the time but tend to forget you too can get sick—and not only that, you won't admit it!"

"I won't admit it because I am not—" Mamoru's nose scrunched and let out a loud sneeze that even startled him of how strong it came, leaving him startled and blinking in disbelief, "—Sick,"

Usagi stood in front of him and pulled his arms to help him sit straight and make it easier for him to stand. She waited in his room until she made sure he got into the shower to walk into the bathroom, get his clothes, and toss them in the dirty clothes bin he had in the guest bathroom. She widened her eyes when she heard him sneeze several times in a row, confirming that he had in fact, had caught a severe cold.

A good 20 minutes later, Usagi returned to his bedroom and saw him walking out of his bathroom wearing the sweatshirt and flannel pants and sat on his bed, "Usa..." he moaned sheepishly; his warm voice while sounding less monotone and more like himself it had that characteristic nasal tone when one has congested sinuses. He looked up at her with glossy eyes and sniffed much like a scolded child and sighed, "I think I'm sick..."

Usagi walked up to him and combed his damp hair back; she gave him a soft, sweet smile, "Yes my love, you are," Mamoru sniffed again and rubbed his congested nose with frustration, "Ugh, I don't even know why... I took all the preventive shots available to avoid this... I hate being sick..."

Usagi cupped his face with her hands and looked at him with loving eyes, "Mamo-chan, your body is asking you to slow down..."

Mamoru blinked, surprised "What?"

"You have been working these killer shifts for weeks now. You haven't slept the hours you should and you haven't eaten much either—no matter how many flu shots you get, your body wasn't going to resist much longer. You may have been feeling somewhat alright while you were at the hospital but the minute you stepped into the cold weather, it got the best of you." Usagi caressed his lips with her thumbs, making Mamoru realize that she has been more aware of his life than he imagined. He figured that since she was busy with her own studies and friends she wouldn't notice he kept himself busy at the hospital.

"I'm trying my best Usa..." he muttered tiredly, finally admitting the situation, "I really want to have more than 30 minutes with you. I know I asked you to be patient with me and my schedules at the hospital but lately, it's been driving me insane,"

"If you keep this crazy rhythm, I won't even get to spend 30 minutes with you," Usagi sat next to him on the bed and held his hand, "Yes, it's hard, very hard, because I miss you too, so, _so_ much..." she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "It's hard for me to see you just for a couple of minutes every other day but, it's worth it Mamo-chan." Her finger traced the natural upward shape of his brow and tilted her head, "I will wait for you as long as needed because I love you. This is a two-way street, my love, you have been waiting for me too because you know there are many things I still need to do. I still need to finish college and get my degree with the best grades possible. I want you to be proud of me, Mamo-chan. You have been in every step of this long journey with me, from the very start. When I said I wanted to be creative for a living, you were the first to encourage me to go for it without fear. You've been helping me with my courses, you help me read and double check for misspells or grammar enunciations on every essay I write despite you having a long day at the hospital. You let me stay at your place so I could work and study and don't get distracted by my brother's loud friends but most importantly, you've given me bottomless moral support. Every minute I don't get to see you, I think just how much you are doing for the both of us to make our relationship work despite the lack of time we have to spend together and it motivates me to do the same. I am doing it too, maybe not in the same way you are because I haven't found an internship yet but that's why I take extracurricular classes to speed up the process and finish this soon... all I want is to be with you and fulfill our dream, but I understand there are still many things to be done. But if you don't take care of yourself then what will become of us?"

Mamoru sniffed softly, partly because of his congestion and the other because he was truly moved by his girlfriend's words. He smiled but quickly after jerked his head to the other side and sneezed loudly again. Usagi smiled with tenderness and pulled him into her arms, "Aww, my poor baby is sick... hush, hush... I will take care of you..."

Her soft voice made Mamoru blush and shake all sorts of feelings inside him. It has been so long since he got this sick; he led a very active and healthy life and was always taking vitamins and supplements to avoid getting swept by the weather changes and even as a kid, he would do anything he could to avoid getting sick. At the orphanage, it was common for so many children to fall under the weather and while they got medical attention and good care, it never came with that loving warmth a loved one would give to make them feel better. Whenever this happened, they would get isolated until the virus was under control and presented no hazard to the rest, because, taking care of ten children was still easier _and cheaper_ than to treat a hundred. When Mamoru caught a cold from another orphan kid, he got the same solitary treatment and was sent to a different room alone, except for the routinely visits from staff members to check up on him. After that, he made a promise to himself to never be so careless and do whatever it was necessary to keep himself healthy. Loneliness lurked in every corner and he had to keep himself busy to carry on.

Of course, Mamoru wasn't unbreakable. He did fell sick several times afterward and during his teen years and adulthood, but just like it was when he was at the orphanage, he dealt with the strain of being in pain and partially capable of doing things on his own, all alone. In all his years dating sweet Tsukino Usagi, this was the first time he fell under the flu wagon with such force; making him feel completely vulnerable and spoilt by her tender and loving care.

"There, there... it's okay to be sick once in a while, you don't have to be a scrappy lion and be strong and in control all the time Mamo-chan, that's why I'm here..." Usagi drew back and looked at her blushing boyfriend with a smile, "This is actually something good... you can call in sick and take a break from the hospital until you are all better and actually have time to get some well-deserved rest and good food."

Mamoru felt the uncomfortable itchiness in his throat and started coughing, "I don't think I can do that, Usako... also, my throat is burning like hell probably does."

The comment made Usagi chuckle and patted his cheek with tenderness. She looked at him in silence as she combed his damp hair with her fingers before she went to get the hairdryer and plugged it in the socket on his side of the bed and turned it on, "You can't go to bed with your hair this damp... you can catch pneumonia,"

Mamoru closed his eyes and quietly enjoyed the feeling of her hand running through his hair and the warmth coming from the blow-dryer and smiled. He found it incredibly sweet to see this nurturing side of her, and he loved how overprotective she was of him when he felt most vulnerable. It was the sweetest reminder that he finally had a place in someone's heart. Once his hair was fully dry and fluffy for all the teasing, the blonde turned to get the thick pair of socks and handed them to him and placed a hand on his forehead again, like an expert nurse, "You are still a little warm, but it looks like the shower did help you lower down the fever,"

Mamoru grabbed the pair of socks and slowly put them on, then looked at her, "Actually..." his voice had started to sound more strained and hoarser from the congestion, "To get rid of a fever... you have to place a cool, damp washcloth on the patient's forehead while they're resting."

"Okay, who's taking care of you?" Usagi put her hands around her waist, making Mamoru chuckle, "You,"

"Right, so trust me—I know what I am doing," Usagi put a finger up, "I learned a trick or two in all my years of catching bad colds." Mamoru nodded and raised his hands conceding Usagi full control of the situation; he was not the doctor right now, he was a patient— _her_ patient. "Alright..." Usagi smiled with accomplishment and pulled up the covers, "Okay, hop on the bed, you need to catch on your sleep. I will keep myself busy with all the presents I still need to figure out how to wrap,"

Mamoru nodded and smiled once he was lying in his bed and let his girlfriend pull the covers all the way up. Usagi leaned down and kiss him on his temple and went to close the curtain to block the morning sun and headed to the door stealthy as a cat, so she wouldn't disrupt his light sleep. She was about to close the door behind her when a soft grunt stopped her and made her turn, "You okay?"

"Usa..."

"Yes, Mamo-chan? Can I get you anything else?"

"No..."

"Do you need another pillow?"

"No... I just..." Mamoru pulled the cover down enough to show his face to her, "I want you to know... I _am_ proud of you—very much."

Usagi blushed and gave him a warm smile. She didn't say it and probably never have, but since she met Mamoru in this present era, aside from the intense crush she had on him, she has always had a secret admiration for the young man. Since day one and way before they knew their real identities, the attraction she felt for him went beyond his magnetic personality and obvious handsomeness. She was instantly drawn every time he opened his mouth to speak and let herself be instantly charmed by the warm tone of his voice, his sharpness, and intelligence. Mamoru didn't need to prove how smart he was, he just was. He spoke like a nerd because that's who he is and he was too humble and sometimes too naïve to even bother to fixate his attention on those things and try to change them so he could fit in. He never bragged and he never acted like a show-off and Usagi found that very inspiring, how he stayed true to himself.

Mamoru secretly became Usagi's role model and she tried to follow his example by striving for more and get ahead with her studies so she could later apply for college and get herself a degree, she wanted to earn her own achievements and have a career. To her, it was important to make her parents proud and happy but it was a bigger deal for her to make an impact in Mamoru and make him feel proud of his girlfriend because she wanted to be his equal in every way possible. Since day one, he has helped her with her studies and exams and slowly but surely, he offered his support and let her spread her wings and excel in every goal she set for herself regardless of the result. Good or bad, he was always there and always willing to go through the next big thing. Mamoru probably didn't know it, but he was her motor, her mentor, and inspiration. Aside from the fact that he was her best friend, hearing those simple words, it truly meant the world to her.

"I love you, to the Moon and back..." she smiled softly.

"...To the world where we belong. I love you too." Mamoru smiled, making Usagi feel like her heart could explode with extreme joy. "Sleep... I'll be here in case you need anything,"

"Thank you, Usa..." Mamoru coughed and hid under the covers, creating a protective cocoon with them. Usagi smiled and closed the door behind her and went straight to the phone to call the hospital.

 _"Toranomon Hospital, good morning—how can I help you?"_

"Hi, good morning..." Usagi cleared her throat, "May I ask with whom I need to speak to give notice that one of your residents may be absent for a couple of days due to illness?"

 _"That would be direct with the resident's supervisor, Ma'am. Do you know who that is?"_

Usagi bit her lower lip, "No..."

 _"Do you know what area the resident currently assists in?"_

"No..."

 _"Alright, may I ask for the resident's affiliation number?"_

"I-I... I don't know it..." Usagi's eyes widened, "No, wait—yes, I do! Could you wait a minute?"

 _"I'll hold,"_

Usagi ran back to the bin with dirty clothes and looked for Mamoru's scrubs and looked for the id card she was so sure she saw pinned with a small clasp and smiled when in fact, had found it, and ran back to the phone, "Thank you so much for waiting, I have the number: 00156478952," she heard the receptionist typing the number with impressive speed at the other end, " _Dr. Chiba Mamoru?"_

"Yes!" Usagi excitedly, "That's him!"

 _"He assists the fifth floor... so... let me check who his supervisor is... oh right! He is a Specialized Internist, he works at MICUs—I see, he was here just a while ago. His direct supervisor is Dr. Furuhata Motoki, you would have to talk to him directly. Would you like me to transfer the call to his unit?"_

Usagi smiled proudly, "That would be great, thank you so much,"

 _"You are very welcome, have a nice day—transferring..."_ Right after, Usagi was greeted by a different woman, _"Medical Intensive Care Unit, this is nurse Takahashi Suki, good morning,"_

This was the first time Usagi would call the hospital so all this excessive protocol was all too new for her that it made her feel quite uneasy and sloppy with her words, "Good morning Takahashi-san, my name is Tsukino Usagi, I am calling for Dr. Furuhata, is he available?"

 _"Are you one of his patients?"_

Usagi bit her lower lip and thought that lying might be the quickest way to talk to her blonde friend without any more of that snobbish protocol she still needed to learn how to handle. She had to go with the flow and lie to avoid more questions about Mamoru she probably couldn't answer, thinking that she had to pay more attention whenever he talked about his profession and job.

"Yes, _I am_ one of his patients—I would like to ask him a few things about my treatment, cof-cof,"

 _"Please wait in line,"_ After several minutes of typical instrumental music, the kind she always says it's made specifically for these purposes, Motoki's warm voice finally welcomed her, _"Usa-chan!"_

"Hi, Motoki-oniisan!"

 _"So, you're a patient of mine, eh? Don't tell Mamoru, he'll get jealous if he knows you chose me over him,"_

Usagi chuckled, "I know, I'm sorry I lied... but I was afraid I was going to get asked more things about Mamo-chan that I know I couldn't answer correctly,"

Motoki laughed at the other end of the line, _"He's your boyfriend and you don't know what he does for a living? I am appalled Usa-chan,"_

"I _do know_ what he does for a living!" Usagi blushed, "Just... not enough—apparently. I didn't know you were his supervisor or that he was a Specialized Internist... or that he assisted the fifth floor... okay, I'll ask more about his job more often, I promise."

Motoki chuckled, _"Yes, you should... your boyfriend is an important element in this unit. He has helped me a lot since he joined my team. He is close to starting his fellowship due to his specialization which is focused on treating patients with critical diseases and sometimes works with other specialists like me or Oncologists, for example, when a current patient is right about to start chemo so their treatments do not compete with each other—he's good, you can be very proud of him."_

"I am," Usagi smiled "Very much,"

 _"So... what do I owe this lovely call from you?"_

"Mamo-chan, of course,"

 _"What about him?"_

"He just got home—burning with a crazy fever."

 _"I know,"_

Usagi's eyes widened, "Wait, you do?"

 _"Why do you think he went home? I dismissed him—he doesn't know I did it because I knew he was sick. I had to give him other reasons but it was very obvious, he's a terrible liar."_

"The worst,"

 _"So, where is he?"_

"Sleeping, _finally_... he didn't want to admit defeat,"

 _"Of course not, it's Mamoru we're talking about. He has some pride and is very stubborn, but he's also very loyal—pretty much like a lion,"_

"He's a very scrappy lion," Usagi sighed with worry, "He's very sick Furu-chan, is it possible he can skip a couple of days off work?"

 _"Coming from you such request Usa-chan, of course, he can, but also, because he earned it. He can take a couple of days off... after everything he has done, it's more than fair."_

Usagi frowned, "Everything he has done? What did he do?"

Motoki chuckled, _"I knew wasn't going to say anything about it but he has been taking extra shifts because one of his patients wasn't reacting to the treatment he gave him to treat a severe kidney failure, so he voluntarily chose to stay until he showed signs of improvement and while doing that, he also took care of his kid while his dad was unconscious—he didn't want to leave him alone. I believe the patient's wife passed away not too long ago, and the poor boy is still struggling with the loss of his mother, so... you know your boyfriend, that's a soft spot for him..."_

"Mamo-chan did that? Really?"

 _"Yes, he did. He bought him food because he wasn't eating well, he took the time to play with him and even asked him to be his assistant, we could see the kid walking along with him carrying his charts and files from other patients with this huge smile on his face—he didn't leave his side all night Usa-chan, the kid was ecstatic, Mamoru really lifted his spirit. Of course, everyone at the hospital heard about this and was fascinated with Mamoru's noble approach to the kid. I was truly impressed to find out just how good he is with children,"_

Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears. She knew how dedicated was Mamoru with his work, she knew how important to him was to become a doctor and be able to help others but Motoki's confession just made her think that it went beyond just his desire to help the ill. It hit her and it totally made sense. Mamoru became a doctor to prevent more kids to live the life he had when he lost his. He thought about his patients' families and took their health very personal, even if his own health was on the line and that truly moved her to the very core.

"I can't... I can't believe Mamo-chan did all that..."

 _"Once the patient regained consciousness and showed signs of improvement, we were finally able to locate a relative; one of the sisters came to hospital right away to check on him and took the kid into her care—that was my cue to act and send Mamoru home because he was reluctant to leave until he found the root of the problem and tackle it with success. He has been burning with fever for hours—I noticed it, and I was very impressed by his endurance—he never lost his concentration and dealt with this whole situation like a total pro. After all this, he can certainly take a couple of days off... I'll find someone to cover his shift. So, did you check his temperature?"_

"Well, no, not yet because he didn't want to admit he was sick but I did send him to take a shower and that helped,"

 _"Yes, that always helps. Okay, my recommendations are to keep him hydrated, he needs plenty of liquids and plenty of rest. Make him eat something for the love of God—he needs to eat. Give him some chicken or vegetable noodle soup, something cozy and easy to swallow, nothing spicy because it will irritate his throat and will give him a cough, in case he hasn't caught one already... oh, and don't forget to give him the most important medicine of all, of course,"_

"Yes?"

 _"Love. I know, I know, it sounds super corny but the poor man deserves to be spoilt. I know he is one tough cookie but you are the only one who can turn that man into a *koneko."_

Usagi giggled, "Will do Motoki-oniisan, without a doubt,"

 _"Don't worry about a thing, I'll take care of everything."_

"Thank you so much, Furu-chan."

 _"You are very welcome Usa-chan, let me know how he progresses and if there is anything else I can do to help,"_

"Will do, thank you so much—say hi to Reika-san for me,"

 _"Sure thing Usa-chan, take good care of my bro, alright? I need him complete—he's my go-to doctor for complex diagnostics and treatments,"_

Usagi smiled, "I promise,"

 _Motoki chuckled, "Bye Usa-chan,"_

"Bye Furu-chan,"

Usagi pressed the end button and stayed in silence for a couple of minutes dealing with all kinds of emotions and a new respect for her boyfriend. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world for having such a wonderful person in her life. Now, his sickness was more than justified and she was certainly going to do everything she could to make him feel better. "Soup..." she sighed, "Me, cooking? All I can make are instant noodles... and they don't come out that good..." like a thunderbolt illuminating her thoughts she snapped her fingers and took the phone again to dial another number, one she knew by heart.

O—o—O

An hour later of struggling with another yard of lace ribbon she thought would look cute at first, and now she was regretting buying in the first place, a soft knock on the door interrupted her battle and went to open the door revealing a smiling Makoto standing in the hallway, "Ohayo, Usa-chan!"

The silver blonde threw her arms at her tall friend and let out a heavy sigh, "Oh! Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mako-chan!"

"Of course!" Makoto blinked and looked down at her with concern, "Everything okay?"

"Yes..." Usagi smiled and stepped aside to allow her friend walk into the apartment, "I was having another round with a lace ribbon I bought at the craft store to make bows and put on the presents I am supposed to have wrapped by now... it's been three hours and I haven't accomplished anything. It's really getting on my nerves this whole wrapping thing..."

"How long have you been here?" Makoto chuckled as she walked into the apartment and put her things on the slim table in the genkan while she slips off her botties, "It's 10:30 in the morning..."

"I've been here since 7:00 a.m. sharp,"

"Wow,"

Usagi sighed, "I know, as surprising as that sounds... I even thought I Mamo-chan was sleeping, so I was doing everything quietly but I just can't do anything at my house anymore. Shingo is always having parties or study sessions with friends and they're always so loud... and well, the presents I have to wrap are for my family, so they can't find out."

"I understand," Makoto smiled, "You want me to help you?"

"I do need your help, but, with something else..."

"Alrighty, shoot,"

Usagi looked at her sheepishly, "Could you teach me how to make a chicken or vegetable noodle soup?"

"Really?" Makoto blinked surprised, "You, cooking?"

"I know..." Usagi chuckled, "But Mamo-chan's sick and I want to feed him something warm and cozy..."

"Oh," Makoto widened her eyes and looked around, "Mamoru's here?"

Usagi nodded and pointed the door down the hallway, "Yeah, he's sleeping in his bedroom. He came home like an hour ago burning with fever and a terrible cough," she sighed softly, "He took this intense shift at the hospital and it took the best of him,"

"Oh no, poor Mamoru!" Makoto walked into the kitchen, "Of course I'll help you Usa-chan, that's what friends are for. It's great to be able to help you two, he sure does a lot and he's always checking up on us and prescribing our medicines whenever _we_ get sick. This is nothing." She opened the fridge and started to take a good look at what was available, "Let's see... oh, he has a well-stocked fridge..."

"I spend most of my days here... even when he's not around, he makes sure to keep it stocked so I can make myself something to eat in case I come here to work or study—it's a big deal for him, for some reason," Usagi blushed when Makoto turned to look at her with a wide smile, "Goodness, that's so sweet, he is such a suave guy," she turned and began taking many items from the fridge and put them on the counter, "So, it seems we have everything we to make a hearty broth... well then, shall we begin?"

"Yes!" Usagi smiled widely and washed her hands, "I'm ready,"

"Alright... wash those vegetables I put over the counter and peel these carrots for me please," Makoto handed her a few carrots and turned to start the stove and put some water to boil inside a large pot "This will help me warm up for my interview at this French restaurant later today,"

"Oh, today's your interview? I'm so sorry Mako-chan!" Usagi widened her eyes as she saw Makoto cutting some chicken thighs into smaller pieces and put them in the hot pot, "Yeah it's today, but I still have plenty of time—don't worry, Usa-chan." She smiled and started dicing a few sticks of celery, "You put the vegetables that usually take a little longer to be done first, then you add the chicken and you wait until it's half cooked before you throw the rest of veggies inside—the same goes with the noodles because they cook pretty fast,"

"Got it," Usagi nodded and turned to her friend, "So... are you nervous?"

Makoto smiled and put the lid on the pot again, "No... not really, I am more excited than nervous. I know the chef at this restaurant is hard to please and that he's nothing like the other people I've worked before but I know working for him would open so many doors for me in the future and if I want to open my café, this would allow me to save faster—I do hope to get this job,"

"You will, I'm sure. You're the best, Mako-chan! There's nobody better qualified for the job than you," Usagi gave her tall friend a warm smile, "Will you bake my wedding cake, someday?"

Makoto chuckled, "Oh, Usa-chan, what kind of question is that? Of course, I will! It would be an honor! Chocolate, right?"

"Yep,"

"How many layers?"

"Two or three,"

"Fudge?"

"Of course,"

"Sprinkles?"

"Those are negotiable because I am aware the cake is not just for me,"

Makoto chuckled, "Of course," she looked at the boiling pot and smiled, "Alright Usa-chan, time to put the soft veggies inside, I will tell you how to season the broth when to throw in the noodles,"

"Oh yay!" Usagi nodded with enthusiasm. With a content sigh, she turned to her friend and leaned her head on her shoulder, "I don't know what I would do without you, Mako-chan. You're the best."

"Good thing you don't need to find that out," Makoto wrapped an arm around her petite friend's shoulder and nudged her gently, "I'm here for you, okay, it's time. So, the seasoning, play close attention because here's the trick to making any soup beyond delicious..."

O—o—O

Usagi was to a point of giving up on wrapping her father's gift and leaned her head on the sofa behind her and let out an exasperated sigh. After Makoto had to leave for her interview, she decided to give both ribbon and paper another chance only to fail in her attempts once again. While trying to untangle the ribbon, she spotted a small box that was still waiting to be poorly wrapped. Usagi put the ribbon aside and leaned to grab it and with all the care in the world, took out its content with a smile in her face. She remembered Motoki's words when describing her boyfriend as she looked at the object in her hands, _'he has some pride and is very stubborn but he's also very loyal—pretty much like a lion,'_

"You are indeed a stubborn lion, Mamo-chan... but you're _my_ scrappy lion." Usagi smiled and put the present back in its box and put an extra effort to wrap it nicely. She had found the cutest paper in silver tones with white and gold glittery snowflakes and little stars she thought went perfectly with the little present inside and tied some of that lace ribbon around it and made a cute little bow—the best she could make and put it aside feeling proud of her accomplishment.

It didn't take long before Usagi officially gave up wrapping the rest of the presents and decided it was better if she watched some television and chill. Since she was on a winter break from her hectic schedule from college, she felt like she also much needed time to relax and forget about the pile of essays she still had to write and designs that were still waiting to be done. After a couple of more hours later and several commercial breaks, she turned to the clock in the living room and realized that it was past six in the afternoon setting this a new record for Mamoru for sleeping ten hours straight—a truly rare event. She went to check on him since he hadn't shown any signs since he went to sleep and opened the door with much care and walked inside with as much stealth she could muster because she knew for a fact, he was the lightest of sleepers. With that same caution, she leaned closer to make sure he was alright and check his temperature as Motoki had recommended.

Mamoru was still with his head under the covers but Usagi could hear him coughing and having some difficulty to breathe through his nose. She sat next to him on the bed and slowly pulled the covers to look at him and pressed the back of her hand on his cheek very gently, "The fever is not fully gone yet... you're still a little too warm..." she mumbled softly to herself and sighed, thinking if she should give Motoki another call to ask him what to do next. She went to the bathroom to grab a washcloth and soaked it with cold water before walking back to the bedroom and claim her previous spot next to her boyfriend. She started pressing the cool cloth against his cheek, forehead, and all the way to the back of his neck with the most delicate care. It wasn't long after when she felt his hand moving slowly to find hers and looked down at him with worry, "Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru blinked slowly, showing every single sign of exhaustion in his face and snuggled closer to her, melting the blonde's heart even more, "How are you feeling?"

Mamoru shook his head and coughed softly, "I—fever—still?" he mumbled between short breaths; Usagi nodded and combed his dark hair with her fingers, "Yeah..." Mamoru groaned and slowly sat on the bed and raised his arms, "Sweatshirt—off—please..."

Usagi followed as instructed and pulled the thick sweatshirt up, leaving him with the simple white t-shirt he was wearing underneath and turned to turn on the lamp on his nightstand, "I brought you some water... you need to drink plenty of liquids," she said softly.

"Mmm..." A very flushed Mamoru hazily opened his eyes and turned to grab the bottle but Usagi took charge and offered him a straw to take small sips, "Is there anything else you need?" Mamoru cleared his throat and made a pained gesture when he swallowed the water, "You..."

Usagi chuckled, "No, silly—like medicine for the cold?" She saw Mamoru smile and tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear; he loved to see her with her hair down, "Oseltamivir..."

"What?" Usagi blinked slightly confused, "Is that how I go buy it?"

Mamoru let out a hoarse chuckle and coughed again, "Could you—bring—prescription pad—please?"

Usagi nodded and went quickly to the other room he used as his study and looked for the pad he mentioned in his bag and brought it back to him. Mamoru took a pen and started writing down a list of strange names Usagi was sure she was not going to be able to pronounce correctly and silently thanked his impeccable handwriting so the people at the pharmacy could understand what she needed to buy. Mamoru stopped writing and turned to grab a thermometer he had in his nightstand drawer, took it out of its case and put it under his tongue for a minute.

"You are doing it again," Usagi sighed with frustration, "You are treating yourself when I am supposed to be the one taking care of you,"

Mamoru blinked and leaned closer to her and pointed the thermometer, silently asking her to take it and check the number for him. Usagi leaned close to look at the thermometer, "103 °F, is it bad?"

The young doctor waved his hand and started writing something else on the pad, did his signature on the bottom and handed her the prescription with a playful grin on his face. Usagi took the prescription and gave it a quick read and broke in giggles, "Seriously? _This_ is what you need?" Mamoru chuckled and handed her the real prescription, "Take—my credit card," his voice was so aphonic it came out in whispers and pauses, worrying Usagi even more, "I can pay for these, don't worry Mamo-chan,"

Mamoru shook his head and held her hand, "My card—discount—not cheap—infection—need antibiotics."

"Oh," Usagi blinked surprised, "Okay, I'll go right now."

Mamoru took her hand and kissed it softly, "Thank—you—Usa,"

Usagi smiled and handed him the bottle of water, "I'll need to buy more stuff is that okay? Some vitamin-infused waters, cough drops... candy..."

Mamoru let out a muffled chuckle and nodded, "Careful," Usagi nodded and leaned to kiss him on his forehead, "I will. Please, please... _please_ stay in bed, okay? Don't move." She drew back and saw him nodding, "I will be right back—I promise,"

Mamoru raised his right hand and nodded. After taking another sip of water with the help of the pink straw Usagi had put inside the bottle, he turned the light off and snuggled under the covers again.

Usagi went to put her favorite pink wool hat, her black coat and a pink scarf around her neck. She put on her knee-high boots and went to look for her purse and Mamoru's wallet to look for the pharmacy card and his credit card. She didn't like much to rummage through his personal belongings no matter how much trust they had for one another and it didn't matter how much he told her that his things were hers as well, doing things like these made her feel like an intruder. She found his brown leather wallet on the small table and as soon as she opened it, her eyes gleamed with instant tears when she found a little piece of paper neatly kept on the first slit where one would normally put an official ID card. It was a laminated card preserving a doddle, one she clearly remembered drawing in a small pink piece of paper when she was still in junior-high, probably right before Chibi-Usa appeared for the very first time. It had a small white bunny rabbit on a crescent moon and below were written the very words that have been the secret motto of their relationship for many years:

' **このバニーはあなたを月に、そして私たちが所属する世界にあなたを愛しています** **'**

 _'This bunny loves you to the moon and back to the world where we belong,'_

"Oh my god... Mamo-chan..." she sniffed softly and dried her tears with her sleeve. Usagi didn't know why was she so moved by it. She didn't know why seeing that tiny piece of paper was making her cry this much; maybe because at the time she drew it, she thought it was something silly and unimportant, just a little tiny gesture—corny things a teen girlfriend would gift her boyfriend. She remembered drawing it during literature class and she gave it to him on a date at the park after school but she never _ever_ imagined he would cherish it enough to make him go to a stationer's shop and get it laminated and keep it in such impeccable conditions after so many years.

This was solid proof on how it didn't matter how many years could pass by, Mamoru would never stop surprising her. He was a true master of details, that was his secret. For her to see he treasured something so simple was beyond her, but just to think that it was the first thing he saw every time he opened his wallet moved her to the very core. With flushed cheeks and teary eyes, Usagi sniffed once more and put the small laminated card back in its place before she took his credit and pharmacy card and headed out the door to get her boyfriend's much-needed medicines—also candy.

O—o—O

"Your fever seems to have gone down..." Usagi said as she looked at the thermometer, "How are you feeling?" Mamoru waved his hand, "Throat—hurts," his voice was still very aphonic, making it harder for him to maintain a conversation. Usagi combed his hair back and tilted her head to the side, "Want to sleep some more?" Mamoru shook his head and held her hand, "You." He whispered and kissed her hand softly, making Usagi blush, "I am just about to give that wrapping nightmare another try, want to see me struggle?"

"Still?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi sighed, "I am not good with crafts... wrapping presents is a nightmare for me. Every Christmas is the same, the ribbons get all tangled, the paper rips and wrinkles and I just never ever cut the right size for each box! It's so annoying..."

Mamoru chuckled and pulled back the covers, "Help—me?" Usagi nodded and helped her weak boyfriend get out of bed and quickly put a cozy blanket over his shoulders, "I turned the heat in the living room so you wouldn't be cold in case you wanted to get out of bed,"

Mamoru smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the living room. His blue eyes widened when he saw the crazy amount of paper and ribbons scattered all over the living room. Usagi chuckled, "I told you, it's not my forte."

"Hmm..." Mamoru went to sit in the middle of what she made her crafting station and grabbed a piece of paper Usagi had cut in the wrong size and placed it diagonally and neatly folded the corners until the box was perfectly wrapped. He looked at her and handed her the box, "I wrap—you ribbon."

"H-How did you do it!?" Usagi grabbed the box and looked at it with wide eyes "I can't believe it..." she started to untangle a sparkly ribbon and tied it around the box and sighed, "My goodness Mamo-chan, is there anything you _can't_ do?"

"Sing..." Mamoru began wrapping another box and cut a piece of tape, "Draw," Usagi blinked and looked at him, "What?"

"I can't sing—can't draw..." Mamoru whispered as he folded the corners of the paper and quickly finished with his second box and started working on his third. Usagi chuckled, "Sure you can, I've heard you before,"

Mamoru blinked and turned to look at her with a pink tint in his cheeks, "When?"

"You always do!" Usagi chuckled, "When you think no one's listening... you sing. It's so cute. I love it."

Mamoru felt his cheeks turn hot and looked down at the box in his lap, "—Can't draw..."

"Please... anyone can draw!"

Mamoru handed her another box and grabbed another one, " _I_ can't."

"I am pretty sure you can, your handwriting is too neat to be bad at drawing." Usagi narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "Like, there's no way."

"Try me,"

"Well, maybe I will... while singing a cute song. What's that one you always sing? The one with the toothpaste?"

"Toothpaste kisses..."

"That's the one!"

"Hmm..." Mamoru blushed another shade more and cut a piece of paper to wrap the big box in his lap, "Big—box..."

"Ah yes... that's for Papa, from both of us," Usagi smiled, "It's a wool coat, I found it on sale and he needs a good coat for the winter, the one he has is in terrible shape but he's reluctant to buy a new one, pretty much like you were when I asked you to give up that green jacket." Mamoru blew his bangs, "That was—good—jacket."

"That was a horrible jacket Mamo-chan," Usagi gave her boyfriend an incredulous glare, "It didn't even have any pockets! Was it a coat, a windbreaker, a blazer—who knows?"

"Bought it—first paycheck. It was—only thing—could afford—then." Mamoru continued wrapping. Usagi stopped putting the lace ribbon around the wrapped boxes she had aside and looked at him with wide eyes. She froze, feeling completely ashamed and immediately regretted her words, "I'm so sorry... Mamo-chan... I didn't... I'm so sorry..."

"Never said—pretty." Mamoru smiled and handed her the big box, "Good—jacket—not pretty."

Usagi blinked, "Did you really buy it with your first paycheck?"

Mamoru nodded, "First—job at grocery store—"

"How old were you?" Usagi was now so deep into their conversation since it was rare for him to open up about his past that casually. She loved to hear those kinds of stories, with Mamoru everything had a motive, a reason and a secret fun fact—like his green jacket she now had learned to appreciate. Now that he was an accomplished doctor, it was inspiring for her to listen to stories of how he made a way in the world from a very young age and how he climbed his way up in life.

"Thirteen," Mamoru waved his hand and put another wrapped box aside before he started working on another one, "Fourteen... I organized—shelves," he let out a forced chuckle, his voice was so aphonic his words came out all choppy and sometimes inaudible, "Did inventory—cashier—stuff like that..."

"And the jacket?"

"Found it—thrift store, only thing—could afford—warm enough for me to survive—winter," he gave her the last box and smiled, "Done,"

Usagi sighed softly, "Thank you so much, you are always helping me, even when you are sick,"

"Of course—anytime." Mamoru winked an eye at her and went to sit on the sofa, Usagi smiled, "Hungry?"

"Little," Mamoru wrapped the throw blanket around him again and covered his mouth before coughing, "Want me—cook?" Usagi chuckled and shook her head "Nope, I did."

Mamoru blinked surprised, "You?" Usagi nodded proudly, "Yup. I told you I was going to take care of you. I promise you it's good—Mako-chan taught me how to make a hearty chicken noodle soup to help you feel better in no time, it has lots of vegetables,"

"Mako—came?"

Usagi nodded, "You were sleeping; she was on her way to an appointment and quickly stopped by to help me make the broth but the rest was made by me, want some? You need to eat something,"

Mamoru smiled and nodded "'Kay,"

Usagi went quickly to the kitchen and grabbed a soup mug from the cupboard and poured some of the hearty soup and walked back into the living room, "Be careful, it's hot." She smiled and stood there to wait for his reaction. Mamoru looked at the contents in his mug and took a sip of the broth then looked at her with a smile on his face, "Tasty,"

"Really?" Usagi bit her lower lip nervously, "You are not saying it just because I made it?"

"No—it's very tasty," Mamoru smiled at her and took a piece of chicken and noodles with his chopsticks, "Thank you—love."

Usagi blushed and leaned down to kiss him on his forehead, "You are very welcome, my Prince." She rearranged his blanket and put a pillow on his back, "Comfy? Do you need anything else? I brought you some orange juice—freshly squeezed—no pulp so it won't itch your throat—you need your vitamin C to regain your strength,"

Mamoru blushed, he was genuinely touched by Usagi's attention and care. It amazed him she knew every gesture, every smile. Usagi could decode him like an open book, something nobody could do, not even Motoki who was his closest friend and who knew the darkest moments in his life he still had not dared to share with Usagi. He looked down at his now empty mug as he tried to hide the tears in his eyes with a smile on his face; if this was what it was like to be taken care when sick, then he had to count his cold as a blessing and be grateful.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi sat next to him and put the glass with juice on the coffee table and leaned closer, "Are you feeling okay? Is something wrong?" She put her hand over his forehead again, "Did the fever return?"

Mamoru shook his head and remained in the same position with his head down; Usagi tilted her head with worry, "Did the soup make your stomach hurt?"

"No..."

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

"No..."

Usagi pouted her lips, "Do you want me to leave?" Mamoru turned to look at her like a deer in the headlights, "No."

Usagi widened her eyes when she saw tears rolling down his cheeks and leaned closer to wrap her arms around his neck, "Mamo-chan... what's wrong?" Mamoru leaned his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath, hoping his voice would cooperate at least for a tiny moment, "I'm grateful—for you," he whispered, "I'm—lucky—have—you—my—life."

Usagi closed her eyes and pulled him closer in a loving embrace and smiled as she fought her own tears, "I spoke with Motoki-oniisan today... he told me... what you did for that boy,"

Mamoru opened his eyes but didn't say anything, he felt Usagi kissing his temple and took a deep breath. Usagi started combing his hair softly, "You gave that child the chance to spend the holidays with his Papa at the expense of your own health. You gave that boy the greatest gift he could ever have gotten..." she pulled back and cupped his face in her hands, "You say you are grateful for me but I am grateful and lucky to have such beautiful man by my side... I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you—I am so proud of you, my beautiful ray of sunshine." She leaned her forehead on his and smiled, "I value and appreciate all the things you do for the both of us, taking care of you is nothing... I love it, actually, I wish you let me do it more often... but you are as prideful and stubborn as a lion... but also, incredibly loyal and sweet and I wouldn't change you for anything in this world."

Mamoru smiled and caressed her cheek lovingly and quickly pulled back and covered his face, startling Usagi, "Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru let out the loudest sneeze and widened his eyes, "Good gracious..." he whispered and dried his runny nose with a tissue, "Haven't been—this sick—since..." he shrugged his shoulders, "Can't remember..."

Usagi handed him a clean tissue and smiled, "Can I stay?" Mamoru blew his nose and rubbed the tissue several times after and looked at her, "No. I—focus—infection..." he frowned and shook his head in disapproval, "You—can get—sick."

"I don't care," Usagi leaned closer and bit her lower lip, "You can prescribe me something in case I get sick... I want to stay and take care of you..." Mamoru narrowed his eyes "Usako..."

"Please, please, please—pretty please?" Usagi put her hands together and looked at him with puppy eyes, "I know the doctor in you would never allow such thing, but, the little boy deep down wants it too... plus, Motoki-oniisan asked me to take good care of his bro, now, how am I ever going to do that if I am not around, eh, Mamo-chan? He's a doctor too—that was his recommendation."

Mamoru sighed softly and pointed the cup of orange juice sitting on the table, "Drink," and leaned closer, "Take—Vitamin C—kitchen right—cabinet."

Usagi smiled and went to the kitchen to find the supplement and walked back with the small jar and sat next to her boyfriend, "How many?" Mamoru lifted two fingers and handed her the glass of juice and leaned back on the sofa with a surprised look on his face, "You called—hospital?"

Usagi swallowed both pills and nodded, "Yes," she turned to look at him, "I had to let them know you were sick so I spoke with Motoki-oniisan. He said you could take a couple of days off work to get better, rest, and eat because he needs you complete."

Mamoru smiled and acknowledged those words as something Motoki often said to his team and anyone that worked with him. He had to admit that he felt more relaxed, like if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders because he knew how hard it was to get time off, much less more than a day. This was going to be like the small vacation he had been waiting for months, even if he could not speak or if he had a runny nose or itchy eyes. Usagi has done so much for him he couldn't say no to her request for spending the night with him, this was the perfect opportunity to make up some lost time, together. He pinched her nose softly and cleared his throat, "Tomorrow—Christmas..."

"So?"

"No plans—girls?"

"Nope."

"Then you—be with—family."

"Well," Usagi leaned closer and kissed his temple, " _You_ are my family... I can go home tomorrow to give them their presents, it's fine. We weren't going to do anything, either way."

"Fine," Mamoru smiled softly and a cupped her cheek lovingly, "Call home,"

Usagi smiled, "You're letting me stay?"

Mamoru nodded, "But—call—home."

The blonde bit her lower lip in thought, "Okay so... what should I say this time?"

Mamoru sweat dropped, "The truth,"

Usagi narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, right... 'hey Papa, so... Mamo-chan's sick and I'm staying over at his place to take care of him... and _of course_ , I am going to sleep with him! Yes, in the same bed. So, I'll see you all tomorrow for presents!"

Mamoru sighed with defeat, accepting the incoherence of his request, "Hmm..."

"Mako-chan knows you're sick, she'll cover for me..." Usagi smiled and went to get the phone and dialed her number once she was back on the sofa with Mamoru; the blonde waited for a few seconds and smiled, "Hi Mama... yes, I'm still with the girls. Actually, I'm calling to let you know I'm staying with Mako-chan tonight... we're having a Christmas slumber party... Mako-chan cooked and all," she blinked, "Oh, okay—well, that's even a better reason for me to stay with her... yes, okay Mama... love you too—see you tomorrow, bye," Usagi pressed the end button and turned to Mamoru with a big smile on her face, "Shingo is throwing a party back at home, Papa and Mama are thinking of spending the night with auntie Kirito,"

"Ah..." Mamoru smiled, "He—parties—little too—much."

"A little?" Usagi chuckled, "He needs to start focusing more on his studies if he wants to do get into a nice college... but I guess today he can get a pass,"

Mamoru gave his girlfriend a startled look, making Usagi laugh, "What? I have become a very studious lady if you must know." She looked into his blue eyes and she could see there were still signs of exhaustion but also, much love. She loved how rich in color they were, like the oceans on earth, so deep and so blue—so true to his emotions. Usagi traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips and noticed how he was trying very hard to keep himself awake but just like her, he wanted to take advantage of every second together since they hadn't much time to spend.

It had been a very emotional day for both of them, but to Usagi, it was like unveiling a side of Mamoru she barely ever got to see but loved without measure. While he was normally very attentive and lovable with her, having him this vulnerable and dependable made her value him even more because it proved her just how much he trusted her. It was always him the one supporting her, taking care of her and looking after her and because it was very rare when he allowed himself to be seen in the condition he was currently in. Yes, Usagi though, he was truly a scrappy lion.

Mamoru groused softly as he lay down on the couch and curled as much as he could into a ball and hazily watched whatever was on the t.v. and frowned, "What's—that?"

Usagi chuckled as she patted his leg he had resting on her lap, "Oh, 'Love under the mistletoe' just a silly Christmas movie—you know I am a sucker for those things..."

"Hm..." Mamoru cleared his throat, "What's—about?"

"Oh?" Usagi smirked, "You? Interested in my cheesy movies... well that's new,"

Mamoru pulled his blanket and gave her an incredulous glance making Usagi laugh, "Well it's true! But since you are _so interested_ , here goes... it's about a spoiled girl who has a lot of money and somehow ends up stranded when her car stops working and she's now stuck in this little village where everyone takes Christmas very seriously and well—while she's trying to get out of there and fix her car to leave, she finds love... and well... now she's rediscovering the meaning of Christmas but now, they are all getting ready to throw this major Christmas party but also, they need to have this big cookie sale to save Timmy from losing his house... but, her car is almost fixed... so... the question here is if she's going to stay for love or will she leave and go back to her luxurious life... dun dun duuuuun!"

Mamoru shook his head and tried to laugh despite his inability, "Goodness..."

Usagi chuckled, "Hey! I told you—I'm a sucker for these movies..."

"They're—in English..."

"They have subtitles... that's not a problem for me. I don't know how to speak English as you do."

"You should..."

"Sure..."

"For real,"

"I will... next year,"

"Hm..."

: Thirty Minutes Later :

"Why? No! She's leaving!" Usagi patted Mamoru's leg, "Mamo-chan, she's leaviiiing!"

Mamoru shook his head and rubbed his nose with his tissue, "Lily—so blind—what 'bout the—tree? The—cookie sale—for good Timmy?!"

"Ugh, nooooo! The cookie saleeee! Noo poor Ken, this is so unfair... she's going to break his heart..." Usagi sniffed and turned to Mamoru, "Can I have a tissue?" Mamoru handed her the box of tissues and sighed, "She'll—come—back,"

"You think so?" Usagi dried her tears and sniffed softly, Mamoru nodded fully convinced, "She has to—the mistletoe..."

"Oooooh, the mistletoe! She has to return, it's tradition—the mistletoe!"

: Twenty Minutes Later :

"Ahhhhh! That was a good corny movie," Usagi sighed with happiness, "They found love under the mistletoe... eh, eh, get it?" She nudged Mamoru's ribs with her elbow under the warm blanket they were both now sharing, not minding he had the flu and that she could get sick anymore. They got so engrossed in the silly plot of the movie that they couldn't help feeling infected by the mushy romantic vibe and snuggled together with Mamoru's leg over Usagi's waist to prevent her from rolling off the sofa while his arm lazily lay over her shoulder, keeping her close to him, "The cookie sale—success."

"Aww yes! They saved Timmy's house!" Usagi giggled, "See Mamo-chan, my corny movies aren't that bad..."

"'Kay, 'kay—right,"

Usagi smiled, "Oh look! Another Christmas movie is about to start—shall we?"

"Can't believe we—spending tonight—like this." Mamoru cleared his throat, "I'm sorry..."

Usagi looked for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, "To me this is perfect, it's the first Christmas we actually spend just the two of us and I wouldn't change this moment for anything in the world. We always spend elsewhere and this is actually a special holiday for couples... and you are my couple so..." Mamoru smiled and tightened his arm around her and kissed her head, "Love you—Buns,"

"Me too, scrappy lion,"

"Scrappy?"

"So... should we see this one? It's a little cheesier than the last one... for what I am reading in the summary..."

"Yeah—what—the hell..." Mamoru chuckled, "This is—about a..." he trailed off and frowned, "Prince... from..." both blinked with disbelief, "Earth?! This—joke, right?"

"No, no it's not a joke..." Usagi broke into laughter, "Oh my god! This movie is about _you!_ We _have_ to see it!" She turned the volume up, "This is going to be interesting..."

"Huh..." Mamoru pursed his lips, "So—I'm supposed—to be blonde..."

"And a spoilt brat—"

Mamoru shook his head, "Why—everyone in these movies—have to be—spoiled brats?"

Usagi laughed, "I don't know! Maybe because the holiday is all about changing people's hearts..." her eyes twinkled with glee, "Oooooh there's going to be a ball and you have to choose a bride by then because the kingdom wants to be stolen by no other than—your evil uncle! Tuuun tuuuuun tuuuuuuuuuun!"

"Goodness—this is—unbelievable..."

"Too corny for you, Your Highness?"

"A tad,"

"Did you have evil uncles back then, Mamo-chan?"

"I—I..." Mamoru blinked, "I-I don't... know... no..."

"Did you have to choose a bride in a winter ball?"

"I-I don't...think so..." Mamoru frowned, "I don't remember..."

Usagi blinked and turned to look at him over her shoulder, "What if you did? Oooh! What if you had a fiancé back then and you were supposed to marry her?"

"Uh—well..." Mamoru covered his mouth to cough softly and took a hasty breath, "That would have made me—world's worst—fiancé ever..."

"Oooh, what if—"

"You watch—too many—of these movies, Usa..."

"Yeah... I do..." Usagi snickered, "But, let's watch this one! They're fun!"

Mamoru sighed, "Fine—I want to see—how Christmas changes my spoilt and bratty spirit..."

O—o—O

In the wee hours of the morning and because the sun was starting to hit right in Usagi's face, she slowly opened her eyes and groaned softly when she saw the famous wonder mop infomercial was playing on the t.v. and realized they fell asleep during the movie. She slowly turned over her shoulder and saw Mamoru had his face cuddled on her back while his leg was still secured around her waist proving her point that he was the most peaceful sleeper she has ever met in her life. He barely ever moved once he found his comfortable spot.

Usagi smiled softly and tried to move but Mamoru's arm tightened around her, letting her know that just like her he had woken up. "Good morning..." she whispered and turned to face him completely.

"Good morning Buns..." Mamoru mumbled and snuggled his head into her chest making Usagi giggle, "Hey... your voice is back!"

Mamoru smiled, "A little, yes..."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better... my throat hurts much less... the itch is still there but it's less than yesterday—for sure." Mamoru slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her, "Hi..."

"Hi..." Usagi smiled, "You're a good doctor... you cured yourself..."

"No, _you_ did." Mamoru chuckled, "I wouldn't be feeling this better if it wasn't for you... I didn't do anything..." Usagi leaned down and kissed his nose, "We fell asleep watching your movie—I didn't get to see how it ended."

"I married the girl—and as expected, my soul was revived by the spirit of Christmas..."

"Seriously, you watched the whole thing?"

Mamoru smiled, "No... I fell asleep right before the ball happened, but that's pretty much how all your holiday movies go..."

"Hey, you liked the other one!" Usagi tackled her boyfriend and rolled her way up, until she was on top of him and snuggled in the nook between his head and shoulder, "This is how I want to spend our holidays... every Christmas... you and me... warm food, cheesy movies... snuggled on the sofa under a cozy blanket—minus the flu, of course."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace and took a deep breath; this was it, it was now or never and never was not even an option for him. He kissed the top of her head and took a deep breath, "Me too Usako... more than anything..."

"Oh," Usagi bit her lip with mischief, "I have something for you..." Mamoru blinked, "You do?"

"Yup," Usagi giggled, "It's something silly but... I saw it and immediately thought of you... want to see what it is?"

"Sure thing," Mamoru smiled and helped her get off the couch and saw her go to the tiny christmas tree she had put on the bookshelf to grab the small box she wrapped the day before with so much love and sat on the sofa next to him, "Here," she said with a smile. Mamoru took the small box and looked at the wrinkly paper, giving him the hint that she put an extra effort to get it wrapped as perfect as possible and smiled, "Buns, you shouldn't have spent on a present for me..."

"It's something silly, really... you might even think it was pointless for me to wrap it." Usagi smiled, "But I thought it was perfect for you, it's something for you to remember me by..." Mamoru cupped her chin, "My dear, you never leave my mind," he looked down at the small box and started to undo the wrapping with much care, one tape at a time. He saw a small white box and once open, he took its content out with a wide grin on his face, "Usa..." he looked at his present with so much awe, it turned out to be a black mug with gold engraving on both sides.

"It's the constellation of Leo, your astrological sign." Usagi smiled, "I was shopping with the girls the other day—when I found Papa's coat! Anyway, I saw it on a display and I immediately thought of you... and... also I thought it was a good replacement for the one I broke."

"Usa, I love it—thank you _so_ much," Mamoru looked at the crisp and simple design and chuckled, "This is so cool!"

"Really, you like it?" Usagi blinked still a little hesitant to believe his words and excitement, Mamoru nodded and pulled her close, "I _love_ it—not as much as I love _you_ , but I love it just as much as I love coffee." Usagi giggled, "Wow, that's saying a lot! Well, you can take it to the hospital,"

"Oh no, no, no... this baby stays here with me—I want to take my morning coffees in this mug," Mamoru shook his head, "It may be a fancy hospital, my dear, but the staff doesn't very much respect other people's coffee mugs... so many have been lost or broken. I am not risking this one." He turned to look at her with a smile, "Thank you so much—well, now that we are exchanging gifts, I believe it's my turn," Mamoru walked to one of the shelves and grabbed a similar sized-box and handed it to her, "You'll find your present funny..."

"Why?" Usagi quirked a brow, "Is it a joke?"

"No," Mamoru laughed, "You'll see..."

"Hm..." Usagi gave him a quizzical look and started to rip the paper on her present and was met with a very similar white box and opened it; her crystal blue eyes widened twice in size "Oh my god!" Mamoru smiled when he saw her taking the contents out of the box, "I know..."

"Oh my god! It's a mug! _My_ mug!" Usagi looked at the white mug in her hands with the same crisp design but with the constellation of Cancer engraved in silver, "Wait... how did you..." Usagi blinked at her boyfriend and gave him a query glance, "Did you know I had bought a mug for you?"

"No, not at all!" Mamoru chuckled, "One day, I was tired of eating the same thing at the hospital's cafeteria and took a stroll down the street and saw it on a display... I know you are not a heavy coffee drinker like I am but, you are a hot cocoa heavy drinker so... I thought this would be nice for you to have..."

Usagi blushed and looked down at the mug in her hands, "I love it so much... so, _so_ , much..." she giggled "Now' we're mug buddies!"

"Yup," Mamoru smiled with a nod and pointed the mug, "But, with one minor difference..."

"What?"

"I believe there is something else inside that mug..."

"Is there?"

"Mhm..."

"Ooouh!" Usagi blinked and looked inside, "There _is_ something else inside!" She took a smaller box wrapped in silver paper and giggled, "What's in here? A charm for my mug? I saw those are becoming popular..."

"Maybe," Mamoru crossed his arms and bit his lower lip nervously, "Why don't you open it and find out?"

Usagi grinned, "Ooouuh! So much mystery..." she started to tear the paper and froze in her seat when she saw a small black velvet box and slowly opened with a shaky hand and widened her eyes when she saw a rose gold ring with a single heart-shaped diamond inside delicately framed by the tiny diamonds all around the delicate band shining like a halo made of little stars. It had a slight resemblance to the one he gave her before leaving for America the first time but this one had a much sleeker and more elegant look and it had a lot more sparkle—serious sparkle, "M-Mamo-chan..." she looked up at him with a blush gracing her cheeks, "W-What..."

Mamoru watched her trying to process what was going on and went on one knee in front of her. He took the ring from the fancy box and looked at her with all seriousness and much emotion in his deep blue eyes, "Two thousand years ago... I made a promise to you. I said that no matter what happened, I was going to find you in another time, a time where we could live our love with total freedom. Eight years ago, I made you a promise that I would return to you and I sealed that promise with that ring you have on your finger—but now that I have found you, and that I have returned... I am here to stay and make that dream of ours, a reality..."

Usagi felt her eyes burning with unshed tears, "Oh my god... Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru smiled softly, "I want it too, Usako—to spend the holidays cuddled on the sofa under a blanket, watching corny holiday movies, but I also want the rest of my days to be like this and I want to spend them with you. If you allow me... Moon Princess... I will do anything in my power to make you happy for as long as I live because there is no one else in this world that I love more than I love you. There is no one brighter than you, no one quirkier, no one kinder, no one more beautiful... no one. There's no one else in my world, but you."

Usagi sniffed and wiped her tears with her free hand while she watched Mamoru gently pulling her worn promise ring off her finger as he looked into her teary eyes, "I want to ask you, this time with a future ahead of us and no longer being a dream, with nothing standing in our way and nothing keeping us apart... my beautiful Princess, Serenity, Tsukino Usagi—love of my life... will you marry me?"

"Y—" Usagi broke in sobs and nodded with a wide smile on her face, "Y-Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Mamoru slid her brand-new engagement ring on her finger and kissed her hand before looking up at her with a wide smile and teary eyes and pulled her closer into a loving embrace, "I love you, to the Moon and back..." he whispered in her ear, Usagi smiled widely, "...To the world where we belong..." she turned and captured his lips in a loving kiss that lasted for a good couple of minutes before pulling back. Usagi looked down at her new ring glistening proudly on her finger and giggled, still very much in shock by her boyfriend's wonderful proposal. Mamoru sat next to her on the couch and smiled, "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I _love_ it—it's so sparkly, it's like having a piece of heaven in my hand," Usagi wiggled her finger to make it gleam with the morning light. Mamoru held her hand and looked down at the exquisite piece of jewelry, "I know you didn't want me to get you a new ring... it was a whole ordeal to even make you agree to give the other one some much-needed maintenance and while it lasted, and still looks pretty and all—I still wanted you to have a proper engagement ring, one suitable for you."

Usagi widened her eyes and looked at the 3-carat pink diamond sitting proudly by itself over the sleek rose gold band with tiny diamonds, making it look like stardust, "Mamo-chan... this must have cost you a fortune..." Mamoru held her hand and smiled, "It can't be compared to that gorgeous smile on your face. It's so worth it..."

Usagi blushed, "I will take good care of it, I promise." Mamoru cupped her cheek lovingly, "Just promise me you'll stay with me always," Usagi nodded and moved closer to him, "I swear,"

Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and smiled, "God, I love you so much..."

Usagi cupped his cheek, "I love you more."

"Nah,"

"It's true!"

"You said I was scrappy..."

"But I mean in a very _very_ cute way,"

"Alright, I'll take it." Mamoru chuckled, "So, I have an idea..."

Usagi blinked, "Oh?"

"How about I put the coffee machine to work and we use our brand-new mugs to celebrate the first of many holidays together? Mm?" Mamoru took the mugs and looked at her with a smile on his face. Usagi nodded with excitement, "Yes! That sounds like a great idea... but... do you know what else would be great too?"

"What's that?" Mamoru blinked, Usagi bit her lower lip "If we accompany those cups of coffee with a stack of fluffy pancakes and come eat them here at the living room while we catch another corny holiday movie. We still have plenty of time before we have to go see Papa and Mama to give them the news, plus, your real present is back at home."

"My real present?" Mamoru chuckled and saw Usagi nodding effusively, "Well, yes, you didn't think I was just going to give you a mug, right?"

Mamoru looked at her with a sweet grin, "It's a perfect mug, and I also gave you one..." Usagi blushed and waved her left hand, "But what about this? This is much more than a simple present!"

"The ring came with the mug," Mamoru smiled, "Usa..." he cupped her face in his hands, "You are my real present. You wanting to spend the rest of your life with me is the best gift I could ever have and I couldn't be happier." He stood up and pulled Usagi into his arms lifting her from the floor making her squeal with delight. He kissed her nose lovingly making Usagi smile as she combed his hair back while looking into his deep blue eyes, "Merry Christmas Mamo-chan,"

Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and took a deep contented breath, "Merry Christmas, Usako."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N:_ _My dearest readers, new and old._

 _This is an idea I had for the longest of time and somehow, it worked now that I was brought back to continue with the Divinity series. These are random chapters in their normal daily lives before the story (III) actually begins. You do not need to follow the series to understand what's going on, these can work on their own as one-shots; but_ _ **if you do**_ _, you will find that these are actually easter eggs mentioned during the course of the chapters uploaded so far._

 _The song Usagi is talking about is called "Toothpaste kisses" by The Maccabees. You can find it on a playlist called "A day in the life" Spotify._

 _*Koneko is "kitten" in Japanese._

 _*If you want a reference to this chapter, read chapter 30 from Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife._


	2. Perfect timing, terrible lighting

_Divinity - A day in the life_

 _Perfect timing, terrible lighting - Extra Chapter_

* * *

"What about this one? This one is very pretty... what do you think Rei-chan?"

Rei smiled at her silver-blonde friend sitting at the dining table surfing through many wedding magazines next to her and leaned on to take a closer look at the page Usagi marked with a post it. It had come that time in every bride's agenda when they had to dedicate much-needed time on the details for the wedding, but with the bride being Usagi, she didn't like to do it entirely alone. She liked to consult with her friends most of the things she knew she couldn't really consult with the groom because it wasn't entirely Mamoru's element or area of expertise. To him, every idea was a great idea—she _did_ have great ideas, but he knew little to nothing about the types of paper she could choose for the invitations, the tulle or lace for her gown, or, as Usagi would say, the incredible difference between blush pink and carnation pink. He did cooperate with his fiancé but with the aspects of a wedding planning that didn't require many creative or artistic skills.

Since Christmas day, the previous year, when they finally made their engagement official, both said it was only going to be one more year until they get married. After a lot of thought, they decided to set the date in April instead of June, like Usagi first had wanted mostly because both of their schedules synched to perfection and also, it gave a beautiful meaning to have a celebration in the midst of spring, the season of bloom. Marriage was a new chapter and new experiences were going to bloom out of it, which made perfect sense. Usagi had just finished the university and like she promised to Mamoru, she finished with a special mention for her academic achievement and recently got the job where she did her internship at a cult fashion magazine that was quickly growing in both demand and popularity among designers and renowned people in the industry, as silent homage to her loving father, since he worked in a magazine as well. As for Mamoru, his undying efforts paid off and finally secured his permanent residency and was now working to get his fellowship, meaning that his long and crazy schedules were finally taking a normal route. One year. Just one more year to be together and start on that new chapter, and now, that year was almost up and the bride was starting to feel a little more pressure to get things done.

"It _is_ beautiful, and the color too," The priestess said as she turned another page of the bridal décor magazine she had in her hands and marked another page. "The color is perfect for a spring wedding,"

It was a quiet and very cold December afternoon. It was pouring snow outside but that was not going to stop the girls from getting together like they always did for fresh baked goods and hot cocoa or coffee, courtesy of none other than Kino Makoto, hostess, and cook by excellence.

"I agree with Rei-chan," Makoto leaned on her counter as she waited for the pastries in the oven to be done and worked on the royal icing on some others she had placed on a beautifully decorated porcelain plate, "There is something about lace that makes any gown so classic..."

"And elegant," Ami smiled and took a sip of her hot cider as she turned the page of her magazine. She slightly pushed her large round glasses with her finger and looked at her friend, "Would you like us to wear the same bridesmaid gown, Usa-chan?"

Usagi bit her lower lip and leaned back in her chair, "No... I want you to wear the style of dress you like, just the color would be okay if it matched." She chuckled heartily and turned another page of her magazine, "I would never do to you what Naru-chan did to me on her wedding..."

Rei chuckled, "Oh right, the greenish gown?"

"With the big ruffles on the back of the puffy skirt?" Ami blinked and turned to her tall friend behind the counter, "The one with the puffy sleeves?" Makoto giggled and turned when the oven chimed. Usagi sighed with a smile and continued looking at the page of her fashion magazine, "Yep, yep, yep... that very one."

Seconds after, like a blizzard of quirkiness and joy, Minako opened the door to Makoto's apartment and walked inside while brushing off the light flakes of snow settled on her deep red colored beret and black coat before hanging them in the rack by the door and took off her high heeled boots.

"Helloooo!"

"Hey, Minako-chan, come on in! I just took a freshly baked batch of biscuits out of the oven," Makoto smiled from her small but neatly organized kitchen. The blonde walked over to greet her girlfriends with a hug and a peck on their cheeks like she accustomed to and stood by Usagi, "How are we doing?"

"Good, good," Rei smiled, "It's cold outside, huh?"

"Oh?" Ami blew the steam of her cider and smiled, "It started to snow again?"

"Like there is no tomorrow," Minako nodded and looked down at the table, "What are you guys doing?"

"Surfing through a fresh batch of wedding magazines and reminiscing about Naru-chan's wedding _and_ Usagi-chan's bridesmaid gown," Rei chuckled when she noticed Usagi's shameful glare on her, "What? Come on, it's true... why would Naru do something like that to you, her maid of honor? Isn't she your best friend?"

Usagi let out a puff of air and leaned back in her chair again, "We—" she widened her eyes when she felt a light chill and turned to a wide-eyed Minako, "What?" She asked, confused.

"Wait, I am _not_ your best friend?"

Usagi chuckled and waved her hand, "Of course you are! You all are, but you know Naru-chan is an old friend of mine. While we are not inseparable like we used to be, because well... we went to different schools, studied different careers and she is now happily married, we are still very good friends. I asked her if she could be the one bringing the lasso for the ceremony... she was overjoyed."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Ami grinned with excitement, "I bet she is going to get you a precious one,"

Minako giggled, "Naru is a sweetheart, no doubt about that. But I agree with Rei-chan, that was one ugly dress Usa-chan—well, no, interesting... the world to describe it would be interesting."

"Interesting?" Rei arched a brow, "Really?"

"As in... different," Minako waved her hand, "...Peculiar,"

"Ugly. The word is ugly, Minako-chan." Rei shook her head and turned to take a sip of her hot cider. Usagi laughed, "I think it was the color, not the design itself..."

"I think the ruffles were a little too much," Ami took a gracious slurp of her hot tea, "Or maybe the sleeves?"

"It was _everything,_ " Minako shook her head, "I honestly don't know what Naru was thinking when she chose that design."

"Oh, come on," Usagi chuckled, "It wasn't... _that_ bad,"

"Did Mamoru give you a compliment?"

"Mamo-chan _always_ gives me a compliment,"

"Yes—to _you_. Because he's head over heels for _you_." Minako quirked her brow, "But he didn't think the same about the dress and he's a guy."

"So?"

"Guys don't usually care about fashion... much less for bridesmaids' gowns."

"How do you know?"

"He told me."

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"I forgot that whenever you get together, you two are such gossipers."

Minako burst laughing, "What can I say? We're good friends."

Makoto walked over to give her blonde friend a cup of hot cider, "Here, warm yourself up." The blonde turned and grabbed the cup with extreme care and sniffed the spiced aroma of the beverage, "You just made this, right?"

"Yep." Makoto smiled; Minako chuckled "Mako-chan, you are the hostess by excellence."

"Of course!" Makoto went to sit next to Ami on the table and took one of the magazines, "You know I love it—also, it helps me blow off steam from my stressful job,"

Minako took a sip of her cider and sighed softly after savoring all the spices and fruity notes in the hot beverage, "So... I need to ask you something..."

All girls turned to Minako who had the biggest smirk on her face. Usagi closed her magazine and put it aside to give her friend all of her attention, "Yes?"

"What are you all doing for new year's?"

All girls blinked a little startled, "New year's? Uh..." Rei bit her lower lip, "I-I don't know... I usually start with the blessings for the coming year and do a cleanse at the shrine but with grandpa sick and Yuiichiro snooping around... I don't think I am doing anything spectacular,"

Minako turned to Ami, who was taking another sip of her cider "I think I have the day off for some reason but I haven't thought of anything. My mother does work that day and my father will be busy with an event he has to host so... nothing I guess?" The blonde turned to Makoto who waved her hand, "Haruto usually closes the restaurant these days—in his words, he doesn't like such banal festivities." She chuckled with sarcasm, "In other words, he sleeps with whoever girl he has in turn since the restaurant hasn't been that crowded lately, he gets to do things like that."

It was Usagi's time to be under Minako's curious and slightly anxious microscope, "And you? Do you have something planned with your fiancé or your family?" Blonde asked silver blonde. Usagi shook her head, "N-No, I don't think so,"

"So, _none_ of you have _anything_ planned?"

"No..."

"Good!" Minako smiled and lifted her arms up with excitement, "You all do now!"

Rei blinked startled, "Uh... Minako-chan, care to explain?"

"Of course, my dear Rei-chan," Minako smiled, "Well, as you all know, Nobu works at The Conrad Tokyo Hotel... so... he will be working on the 31st _and_ he has a way to get us a table at the VIP lounge for their annual New Year's Eve party."

"That is a _very_ fancy hotel, Minako-chan..." Ami blinked surprised, Minako nodded "Yes! Isn't it great? They're known for throwing the best New Year's Eve parties in all Tokyo,"

"I think it is as fancy as the venue Motoki and Reika-san chose for their wedding last year," Rei looked at her blonde friend who was nodding with excitement, "I know! And going to this party is super exclusive—the wealthiest people gather there, even celebrities! It's an invite thing only, so unless you have serious cash to pay for the table, not just anybody can go. Nobu offered me a table a while ago, so I took the liberty and asked Motoki and Reika-san if they were interested and they said they had already booked a table with Reika-san's family, so they're going!"

"But didn't they just celebrate their one-year anniversary at this other fancy place last month?" Makoto chuckled, startling Minako, "Yes, so?"

"Well, I'm surprised..." Makoto blinked, "No, wait... no... I am not... this is Reika-san's element, spending that amount of cash is a normal thing for her..."

"Yep," Minako nodded and chuckled, "She likes all these events,"

"Nobu-san really can get us in?" Ami asked still very hesitant to believe the news. Minako took a sip of her cider and nodded "Yes, he became friends with the new manager and he can get us a special table... I just need to confirm him the number of guests and voilà! We're in!" She turned to her blonde friend and grinned with excitement, "So, Usa-chan, is Mamoru free this Saturday?"

"Uh... I am not sure... I need to talk to him," Usagi blinked, "I am still trying to process all this..."

"You guys... we never do anything for New Year's..." Minako gave her friends a sad look, Rei frowned and pointed a finger at her, "Hey! Yes, we do! We went skiing!"

"That was like five years ago, Rei-chan..." Minako narrowed her cornflower blue eyes, "And Usagi was all gloomy because Mamoru wasn't there,"

"I wasn't sad... well, a little..." Usagi blushed, "I missed him... he was still studying abroad and he couldn't come home for the holidays that year..."

"We haven't had a single chance to celebrate the holidays together, with Ami-chan and Mamoru-kun's weird schedules at the hospital, your endless chores and duties as Priestess, the cocktail parties and presentations Usagi-chan has to prepare for her boss and Mako-chan's Christmas gigs at the restaurant and my endless amount of work at the station... we haven't done anything fun in a _very_ long time!"

All girls fell silent, the blonde was right. It had been a long time since they did something together because they were always very busy with their jobs and overall adult life. Over the years, they had come to be a solid family and not just comrades in battle or close friends, Motoki and Reika included. But sadly, the more time it passed, the more responsibilities they had and the less time they had to spend together and have fun. Usagi knew this better than anyone because she was the first to resent this change in their lives; she never complained and didn't see it as a bad thing but she had a rough time in the beginning because she missed them all—especially Minako. They eventually learned to work on schedules so they could meet but still, it was hard to keep up with everything. She bit her lower lip, knowing exactly how this conversation might turn but it was something she was perfectly sure the other girls were thinking and having their doubts about asking the inevitable.

"Minako-chan..." She looked at Minako and leaned closer, "How are things with Nobu-san?"

Minako looked at Usagi and took a moment to answer, "A little better—" she sighed softly, "Complicated would be the right word to describe what's going on between us—we're working hard... to make it work..."

"Is that why he offered you to get us in?"

"I asked him." Minako never left Usagi's eyes, "I asked him if it was possible and he said he could. We're on good terms, we are doing better than we did in a long time and he just landed a small role in a play so he's happy and to be honest, I want to take advantage of that happiness for as long as it lasts. I know how it sounds, I admit how selfish it is but I really want to have a good time and I want it to be with you guys."

After Minako gathered enough courage to move out of her mother's house after her parent's divorce and found her own apartment to share with Artemis, she met aspiring actor and model, Fujita Nobu at an audition and clicked almost immediately. They shared common interests, both growing actors, both with an endless list of dreams; the man was charming, very sociable and always had his agenda full. After a year of dating both took the leap in their relationship and he moved into her apartment and that is when things started to get as Minako would often say to her friends—complicated.

Minako's agenda started to get packed with good roles in theater and commercials that were slowly but surely securing her a place in the show business while Nobu started to notice a decrease in his, making him fall into what Minako would say a dry spell, pulling him and his always charming character into a void of dark thoughts and emotions that consequently brought problems and discussions between the two and putting their steamy relationship on a rocky path.

Minako's unsteady relationship with the actor wasn't news to the girls, they were all aware of how difficult it was becoming for the blonde to keep it afloat and to make it work. They were more than aware it was her that did the most to keep their relationship from crumbling. Her devotion to him was so serious she decided on leaving the current play she was working on and took a job at one of Japan's top T.V. stations as assistant to one of its top producers, putting her career on hold to give Nobu the help and support he often asked to pursue and secure his career again. In the meantime, the young model scored a job at one of Tokyo's fanciest hotels as an event's promoter, straining the already volatile relationship even more. Usagi noticed the hint of desperation in Minako's blue eyes and cupped her cheek softly, knowing it was enough for the blonde for today but making a mental note to have a more in-depth and serious conversation with her in the near future.

"Perfect," Usagi nodded, "Spending new year's together sounds perfect."

"Usa-chan..." Minako's blue eyes lit up with excitement and smiled, "Really? You will go?"

"You're right, it's been a while since we all have done something together. With the wedding coming so close and everything that has happened this past year, I think we need to celebrate and have a good time together," Usagi smiled and turned to the other girls, "Right?"

"Can't argue that," Rei smiled, "I need a good excuse to dress up. This year has not been my year," Makoto nodded and crossed her arms, "That makes us two."

"Three." All eyes landed on a blushing Ami, "Hey, after that horrible blind date... I deserve to go someplace nice. I may have scored an internship at Tokyo Hospital but the guys I've dated have not been so cool..."

Minako's eyes regained that characteristic joyful spark in them and turned to Usagi, "So, will you talk to Mamoru?"

"I don't think he'll mind if we don't spend new year's together," Usagi smiled, "He'll totally understand,"

"Wait, what?" Minako frowned and shook her head, "No, no, no, no! He has to come too! The point is to be all together!"

"Uh..." Usagi blinked slightly nervous, "Well... you see..."

"What's wrong?" Minako blinked confused. Usagi bit her lower lip already picturing Mamoru's face when she asks him to go to that party. Minako smiled with reassurance, "He has to come too. He's part of the family... he can't miss this and also, Motoki's going!" Minako held her friend's hands, "If _you_ ask him, he won't say no—he never says no to you. You're his favorite person in the world..."

Usagi laughed, "I don't know if he works that day... his schedule is less crazy than it used to but he still has to fill in for other doctors at times over the weekend. Sometimes they're understaffed." She took a deep, shaky breath thinking how to address the topic with him and let out a puff of air, "I'll talk to him,"

"Oooh! Yay! We are going to have so much fun!" Minako chirped with mirth, "We have to look our best, not that it's a hard thing for us... but, this is a _very_ fancy party."

All four girls started chuckling at Minako's enthusiasm as she started to look at one of the magazines Usagi had brought and stopped, "Wait a minute..." she frowned and looked at her friends, "You still haven't picked your bridesmaid gowns?"

Makoto, Ami, and Rei blushed and started browsing through the magazines completely ignoring Minako's glare, "Oh my god, you haven't!? May I remind you, the wedding is in April!" She turned to a laughing Usagi, "Why are _you_ laughing?! You're the bride! You should be freaking out! Say something!"

Usagi shook her head and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "Nope, that's your job as my maid of honor."

"Ah, I see what you did there..." Minako chuckled, "You have become quite the strategist Tsukino Usagi..."

Usagi winked an eye at her best friend, "Well, after dating one for almost ten years you kind of learn some tricks. I don't even know where the hell he learned to be that way, he's so weird..."

"Says the most normal girl in the world... " Minako chuckled and took a sip of her cider as she looked at the magazine in her hands, "Well then, since they are _so_ busy looking for a bridesmaid gown, you and I can look at other things... have you made a decision with the centerpieces?"

Usagi nodded and showed her blonde a few pictures with ideas and put her hand on top of hers. Her eyes full of understanding and also love, much love for the blonde sitting close next to her. "Mina-chan... I'm here or you, we are all here for you... you know that, right?"

Minako nodded, "I do, Usa-chan, trust me, if it wasn't for you... I don't know what I would be doing right now." She smiled and tightened her grip on Usagi's hand, "I love you soul sis,"

"Me too, soul sis." Usagi leaned her head on her friend's shoulder, "Me too."

O—o—o—o—O

The next day, Usagi got out of work a little later than usual because she had to stay to help prepare a set for a photo shoot for the next issue of the magazine and as soon as she was free to go home, she used her trusty mobile app to call for a ride and went straight to her second and soon to be new home with Mamoru. As she paid for her ride and gracefully stepped out of the car, she looked down at her delicate silver wrist watch, "Seven..." she let out a soft breath and walked into the fancy foyer of the building and waved her hand at the manager that was assisting one of the tenants; it had been enough years and enough keys lost over the course of ten years to build a friendly and respectful relationship with the older man, "Good evening Tsukino-san,"

"Takahina-san, good evening!" Usagi smiled and waved her keys, "I have them with me this time,"

"Good, good," The man chuckled and nodded, "Going to see Chiba-san?"

"Yes," Usagi smile, "More like wait for him to get home. He has the most random schedules at work,"

Takahina chuckled in response, "I believe I saw his car parked in his space when I went to pick up something from mine," he rubbed his chin in thought, "I could be wrong, but... I am pretty sure I saw it, he recently changed his red car for a new one, right? A black one?"

"Yes,"

"He made a fine choice. That is one very nice vehicle,"

"Yes, it sure is something..." Usagi cracked a sweet chuckle, "But I am very sure he did it because he's trying to make me drive more often since I couldn't drive the other one."

The manager smiled, "I wouldn't mind," he chuckled and waved his hand, "Have a nice evening, Tsukino-san,"

"Good evening, Takahina-san," Usagi waved her hand and walked into the elevator; she pressed the floor number while reading her messages in her phone as she waited for the doors to open for her. A minute after, she was finally standing outside the apartment and used her keys to turn the locks on the heavy door and stood in the genkan for a minute in silence. Much to her surprise, the place was dim lit and quiet. It was until she saw the small light on the oven and the t.v. with the volume really low in the living room that confirmed the manager's words that in fact, her boyfriend was home. Usagi took her black stilettos and walked into the living room ready to greet her fiancé but stopped when she saw he was sound asleep in one of the sofas.

Like a mischievous child, she walked on her tip toes and kneeled in front of him with much care and smiled. If she could name one strange thing she liked to do when no one was watching her, was to watch her boyfriend sleep. There was something about it that made her heart flip and flutter in all directions in her chest; maybe it was how calm he looked, reminding her that deep down his always controlled behavior there was a man with a playful and the most caring heart of gold. She loved how cute he looked with his cheeks slightly flushed and his tousled hair falling over his alluring blue eyes, those she could never get tired of seeing—those eyes that always drowned her into all sorts of emotions. She stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, fighting the urge to lean closer and kiss him but she knew that any movement she made could easily wake him up and it had been a long time since she saw him taking a power nap but like the mischievous woman she was known to be, she couldn't resist for much longer and combed a few pieces of hair back but much to her surprise, he didn't move.

"Mamo-chan..." She leaned closer and whispered in a singsong tone, "Mamo-chan..." a very startled Usagi moved back at the lack of response from her boyfriend and puckered her lips, "Oh well, guess this Usako is going hooo—" she was instantly pulled back and trapped in Mamoru's arms, making her giggle, "Hey!"

"This Usako stays..." Mamoru mumbled with a hoarse voice and kissed the top of her head, "This Usako is mine." Usagi chuckled and propped her head up to look at his sleepy face, "Have you been sleeping for a long time?"

Mamoru frowned and slowly opened his eyes, "Uh..." he turned to the television and then at the dark apartment and sighed, "I was reading this interesting—" he frowned and turned to the floor, "—Book."

"Sounds like it was super interesting..." Usagi chuckled and sat at the end of the sofa giving Mamoru room to sit. He rubbed his eyes gently, still feeling a little hazed from his sudden nap, "What time is it?"

"Seven-ish..."

"What?! I got here at five..." Mamoru turned his head to yawn and arched his back to stretch a little, startling Usagi, "Goodness! You really fell asleep!" She tousled his hair playfully and laughed, "That was a long nap!" Mamoru chuckled and traced the line of her lips lovingly, "How was your day? You got out a little late today..."

"Yeah, but I had a good day though," Usagi flashed him a happy smile, "I helped put up this super cool set for a photo shoot for the next issue of the magazine and I helped style some of the models—it was so much fun." Mamoru smiled, "I'm glad you are liking your new job, you earned it fair and square,"

"I am liking it very much," Usagi nodded, "I am getting along with this girl—Mika, she is so sweet and funny and she works at the Art and Design Department too, so, it's great to have a friendly face around every day."

"I'm glad, Buns," Mamoru yawned again and turned a lamp on, Usagi leaned down to pick the book her boyfriend was reading and gave a quick read at the title, "The Principles of Internal Medicine applied in the Stat—my god Mamo-chan... no wonder why you fell asleep..." she widened her eyes and put the book on the coffee table and looked at it, "How was your day? You got home early today..."

Mamoru turned to look for the remote and lowered the volume on the t.v. even more, "Yes..." he sighed softly, "I had some things to do early in the morning so I was done with my shift sooner than usual," he cupped her cheek again, "I'm making some coffee, I'm cold... do you want something?" Usagi bit her lower lip, "Uh... you?"

Mamoru chuckled and leaned closer to kiss her lips softly, "You have me," he stood up and went to the kitchen to start the coffee machine leaving a hazed Usagi on the sofa; her crystal blue eyes widened and turned to look for him once she remembered she had to talk to him about the plans she had made for new year's.

"Actually..." she stood up and followed her boyfriend into the kitchen and leaned on the island counter with a shy look on her face, "I do want something..."

Mamoru put the water inside the coffee machine and turned over his shoulder with a sensual look making Usagi blush, "No, not _that!_ " She bit her lower lip "Well... maybe later—no, no... Usagi focus! Focus!" She patted her flushed cheeks with her palms startling Mamoru, "Usako?"

"I need to ask you something,"

"Yes?"

Usagi took a deep breath and released it nervously. If there was someone who knew Chiba Mamoru better than anyone, it was Tsukino Usagi and in all of their years together, either as friends and then as a millenary couple with a transcendental love, she knew the five things Mamoru disliked the most.

One: He does not like disorder or dirtiness.

Two: He does not like to waste his time.

Three: He does not like to be intensely gazed upon by strangers for no apparent reason.

Four: He really doesn't like peppers and beets together.

Five: He _hates_ being in crowded places.

Mamoru was a patient man, a very patient man. He was noble and had a very kind heart much to everyone's surprise. However, whenever those five things happened, he would close up to the world; his whole character would give 180 degrees change. The warmth in his voice would be instantly gone and his smile would turn into a deadpanned frown and Usagi has seen it happen enough times to understand his genuine discomfort and steer clear in the future. She respected it, figuring Mamoru had reasons to be the way he was; she never asked, because to her there was really no reason to dig into the things she knew made him feel uncomfortable or sad. Usagi respected Mamoru's privacy and she knew it was very much likely linked to a past she knew he had a hard time dealing with.

Mamoru blinked, "Usa... is something wrong?"

"Okay... here goes..." Usagi let out another shaky breath and looked at him with doe eyes, "By any chance... are you working on New Year's?"

Mamoru closed the lid on his coffee machine and turned it on before he leaned on the counter with his arms crossed, "Uh... so far I'm concerned, not this weekend, why?" He looked at her and immediately froze in his place when he saw Usagi's nervous smile, "Oh no..." he shook his head, immediately figuring where this was going, "No, no, no, no..."

"I had my weekly date with the girls yesterday..."

"You told me... yes..."

"Minako-chan's boyfriend..."

"Yes?"

"He reserved us a table—"

Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose showing his exasperation, "Usako, please, _please_ don't say what I am thinking right now..."

"—At this fancy hotel where he works at for this New Year's Eve party..." Usagi blushed, Mamoru exhaled heavily with a grunt and shook his head, "No,"

"Mamo-chan..."

"Usako..."

"Please, please, pretty please?"

"No," Mamoru shook his head and gave Usagi a more serious glance, as if he needed to confirm his stance, "No."

"Mamo—"

"—Usa..."

"Please, for me?"

"No. I—I can't. No, baby, I'm sorry... I..." He sighed with exasperation, "No."

Usagi bit her lower lip and tilted her head before she turned to look away. She noticed he was starting to tense up and felt bad for being the reason behind it, she knew this would happen and she didn't like it. With another deep breath, Usagi armed herself with enough courage to go up to her boyfriend and wrap her arms around his waist, fearing he would want to push her away for even going as far to ask him to do it for her, as if she was putting pressure for him to yield and go to something she was certain would make him feel miserable when never in a million years he would ask her to do something she wasn't comfortable on doing.

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan, I shouldn't be so insensitive—I know you don't like those things and I should respect your decision of not going." Usagi tightened her arms around him, "I'll tell Mina-chan you will be working that day and that you won't be able to make it. I'm sure she'll understand." She sighed, "To be honest with you, I didn't feel like going either but she's been having a hard time lately and, well, she said we haven't done anything fun together in a very long time and she's right—we haven't. We're always busy." She looked up and gave her boyfriend a soft, apologetic smile, "It's okay, I'll go for the both of us—" she puckered her lips, "I have to figure out what to wear though, she told us it's kind of a fancy-shmancy party..."

Mamoru felt a strange but rather strong tug in his chest. It didn't bother him when she made plans and went out with the girls, he never felt left out. He was fine with it because just like she did with him whenever he made plans with Motoki or any of his friends from Med-School, he respected her very much needed time with her friends, it was healthy and a natural thing for them to do. While they didn't go out as often as they used to, they still did whenever they had a chance. Mamoru didn't have a speck of insecurity toward his girlfriend, he blindly trusted her and he knew the kind of person Usagi truly is. With her, there has never been a reason for him to feel insecure or vulnerable. In fact, he has never felt safer in his life.

It didn't bother Mamoru that Usagi went to a fancy party, in a fancy place, with a lot of fancy people. It wasn't that at all. In fact, he was glad. In all of their years together, he had never taken her to any of those fancy parties he was well aware existed because it never really crossed his mind to meet with people he knew were not their kind of people. It wasn't the fact that his girlfriend wanted to spend the holiday with her friends, but still, he felt uncomfortable because it didn't take him long to understand what it did was. Mamoru lived to make Usagi happy. He breathed love for her and he always carried her memory in his mind. There was nothing Mamoru wouldn't do for Usagi. Given the possibilities, he was always there—good or bad. Always there. The same way she was always there for him.

The true reason for the uncomfortable tug in Mamoru's chest wasn't because she was going out, it was the lack of gleam in Usagi's eyes because she was going to do her very best to look beyond beautiful to celebrate and welcome the new year with her friends and while she knew she will have a good time, she will still be thinking in how he was alone at home and not because he was working or studying but because he didn't want to commit for a few hours because of his own pet peeves. Mamoru took a deep breath, he better than anyone knew Usagi was genuine and sweet. The sweetest woman there is. The woman that has brought so much light and happiness into his life. Usagi's lack of excitement was not because she didn't want to go, but because she wanted him to want to go with her. Because this was a new experience and she wanted to live it with him and who was he to say no to that and take that excitement away from her? His life had changed the second Usagi stepped in, his marvelous girl with the hair of moonbeam.

He caressed her chin and tilted Usagi's face up to look at him and gave her a loving smile, lightening the mood instantly, "I'll go."

Usagi widened her eyes, "W-What?" She started to notice the tension in his body loosen up and felt his arms tightening around her waist. Mamoru lifted her up and sat her on the counter to be at the same height and looked into her crystal blue eyes, "I will go with you to the party. I want to welcome the new year with you, it's a clean slate, a new chapter and I want to write it with you. Tell Minako I'm in."

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi blushed, "Y-You don't have to go if you do—"

"I want to," Mamoru looked down at her hand, then back at her, "When I gave you this ring, I promised you I would do anything to make you smile. This is important to you and as much as I don't like to be in crowded places, you're right, it's been a while since we all did something fun for the holidays. We've never done anything like this, so we might just give it a go and enjoy ourselves."

Usagi noticed a darker, more lustful gleam in his ocean blue eyes and blushed. Her hand cupped his cheek and smiled, "Ah... I see what you're doing..." she giggled, "Mamo-chan... are you jealous?" To her little playful taunt, Mamoru didn't flinch or changed the intensity in his gaze by her question, "Yes,"

Usagi widened her eyes, completely surprised to hear such answer coming from him. So strange. So rare.

"I'm jealous, yes,"

"W-What? Wait... no... what?"

"Usako," Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "Do you have any idea of how many people will be there?"

"N-No..."

"Many,"

"Really?" Usagi blinked, "Do a lot a people really like to go to these types of fancy events?"

"Yes, my love, more than you can imagine." Mamoru leaned closer, "And you are far too beautiful to go unnoticed and just as much I dislike being gazed upon, called names or whatever, I dislike it much more when guys try to make a move to catch your attention. It bothers me to know they feel entitled to send you red roses or dirty martinis because you looked beyond _amazing_ in your little black dress and for some _stupid_ reason, they think it makes them look cool when they stride over to your table and claim the seat next to you and try to woo you with stupid stories about cars or yachts thinking that would get your attention—yes, Minako told me what happened last time you girls went out."

Usagi's eyes widened twice in size and her blush intensified. It's true, things like that happened to her very often and not only her but Minako and the other girls too but for some reason she couldn't understand why men had a more intense approach when it came to catching her attention, as if they put their charm catalog to the test and see what they could get in return for their invasive intentions. Usagi always found a polite way to send them away by saying she was flattered but immediately flaunted her ring and take out the 'I am in a relationship' card. While she found it flattering at times, she never really took their flirting seriously, because first, the most obvious and desperate to mingle looked stupid when they tried to turn their charm radar on, and second, because she truly didn't have eyes for anyone else that wasn't her fiancé. There was never a level of comparison in front of her. He was wonderful not just by his handsome looks and physique, but by how she made her feel every single minute she spent with him.

"I wasn't—" Usagi swallowed and took a deep breath. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and shook her head, "I wasn't flirting, I swear I wasn't!"

"I know you weren't, my love, but men don't care about that... they don't need you to flirt to let yourself noticed. You are a gorgeous woman, Usagi, in and out. One single smile from you is enough to catch anyone's attention and steal a man's breath, just like you did with me." Mamoru traced the line of her lips softly, "I am not a jealous person, you know that very well, but I am a man, and whenever I learn there are other men lurking around you like hungry beasts trying to woo you and catch you like a prey, it triggers all these raw feelings inside of me that I can barely keep under control. It makes me want to go whenever you are and punch them right in the throat." He leaned closer and rested his forehead on hers for a minute before Usagi moved back enough to be able to look at him, "Mamo-chan..." she cupped his face in her hands, "I didn't know you felt like this whenever I went out with the girls... I'm so sorry... I won't do it anymore."

"No, Usa, don't. Please don't. I'll never stand in your way and stop you from doing the things you like because, in the first place, you aren't doing anything wrong. It's not about that. I trust you, baby. I know you can handle those uncomfortable situations like a pro. This is not because you go out with the girls, this is not about you having fun and enjoying your time with them. I respect it and I wish all of you had the time to do it more often," he leaned closer and took a deep breath, "This is because I am madly—head over heels—in love with you, Usa. I can't help it, I get jealous... I'm a man who is well aware of the beautiful woman I have by my side and I count it as a blessing... the greatest there is."

This was enough for Usagi to close the gap between them and kiss him passionately without a care about what was happening around them, neither the coffee machine or the hidden chocolate ice cream pint she was thinking of stealing from her boyfriend. Not their phones ringing or giving them message alerts, or the television playing in the background. Nothing. Just them in their own little world. Lately, Mamoru was becoming more open about his feelings with her but knowing the kind of man he is and how private he keeps everything from the rest of the world, to learn he felt the same way she felt when she saw girls shamelessly gaping whenever he walked by or trying old tricks to get his attention—Motoki has told her many times before—it was still new to her to know this happened to him too. Usagi silently admitted to herself she felt a lot better knowing they were on the same page, and that it was perfectly normal to feel this way; that they had each other to work on it so they don't suffer in the future because of misunderstandings.

"They can try all they want—I only have eyes for you," she whispered in his ear and smiled as she turned to look at him, "I am madly—head over heels—in love with you too and I also get jealous when other girls stare at you and flaunt their looks and call you a hunk,"

Mamoru snorted and shook his head, showing great annoyance, "I hate that stupid word,"

"I know..." Usagi giggled and patted his cheek softly, "But... I mean..." she blushed, "You are very hunky looking,"

"Thank you, love," Mamoru sighed, "It only sounds decent when you say it," Usagi flashed him a playful grin, "Really? You don't mind me saying the word?"

"Well... I would prefer if you didn't say it. But if it's coming from you... I guess I can—"

"—No." Usagi flicked a piece of hair away from his face, "I would never do something I know it would make you feel uncomfortable. I know how much you dislike that word..."

"Bless you, Tsukino Usagi..." Mamoru kissed her softly on the lips, "God, I love you..."

Usagi leaned forward to deepen the kiss that went on for a couple of more minutes before they both broke apart gasping for air. Usagi combed Mamoru's dark hair back again and smiled, "I forgot to add, my dear boyfriend, that Motoki-oniisan will be there with Reika-san."

Mamoru chuckled and looked at the commercial showing in the television, "I am truly not surprised, that's Reika's element and Motoki does anything to make Reika happy," he turned and smiled at her, "We're pretty much in the same page..."

"But Motoki-oniisan likes the attention,"

"Motoki _loves_ the attention, but that's not what I meant, my dear,"

Usagi blinked, she wrapped her arms around Mamoru's neck and graced his lips with hers, "Really? Oniisan, jealous?"

"Men, my love... we're men."

"Oh,"

Mamoru responded to his girlfriend's sweet taunts and bit on her lower lip with teeth very gently, "So..." he leaned down and started kissing Usagi's neck making her moan softly, "A fancy party, huh?" His deep voice and warm breath sent shivers down Usagi's spine, surrendering to his charms, "Yes... according to Minako-chan... it's very exclusive..."

"Mmm..." Mamoru nibbled the delicate skin on her neck with delicacy, sending another bolt of pleasure all over his girlfriend's body, "Where?"

"It's at..." Usagi opened her eyes and blinked, "Uh... the... uh... oh shoot, I forgot the hotel's name..."

"Ritz?"

"No..."

"Palace?"

"No..."

"The Cerulean?"

"No..."

"The Mandarin?"

"No..."

Mamoru stopped kissing Usagi's neck and pulled back, "Usa... are you trolling me?"

Usagi laughed, "No! It's this really fancy place... as fancy as The Ritz... they throw a party there every year and it's supposed to be super chic and fancy," Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "The Conrad?"

"Yes! That's the one!" Usagi smiled and arched a brow, "Wait, how do _you_ know about their annual parties and all those fancy places for that matter?" Mamoru pursed his lips and looked away for a second, "I..." he sighed, "I know people who go to those places for these types of events..."

"Really? Who?" Usagi tilted her head curiously. Mamoru turned and pinched her nose, "Well, _you_ for example." He smiled when he heard her sweet playful giggles, "And Minako got reservations there, how again?" Mamoru pulled back and went to grab his mug from the cupboard while Usagi followed his every move with curious eyes, noting the absent tone to his previous answer, "Nobu-san works there..." she pursed her lips, "He's a promoter for the hotel or something like that..."

"Ah..." Mamoru let out a weak chuckle and pour himself a cup of coffee, Usagi instantly knew there was something more behind her boyfriend's sarcastic gesture and frowned, "What?"

"What?" Mamoru took a sip of his coffee and turned to look at her; Usagi crossed her arms, "What's with that sarcastic chuckle?" Mamoru laughed, "What sarcastic chuckle?"

"For your bad luck, I know you too well Chiba Mamoru," Usagi frowned making Mamoru laugh again, "Yeah, you do, although, I don't consider that bad luck—"

"Mamo-chan..."

"Okay, okay..." he took another sip of his coffee and put the mug down, "I have my doubts about the guy—Nobu, you said, right?"

"Yes, Nobu-san. Mamo-chan... they've been dating for almost two years... I can't believe you don't know his name," Usagi narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend who sighed and shrugged one shoulder in response, "We have barely ever crossed words Usa, I am pretty sure he doesn't know my name either. I have thick skin for people like him. I got along way better with Yuiichiro but that went straight to hell the minute he decided to become this gigantic asshole—sorry, sorry..." he raised his hand shameful, very aware he didn't use such flourish vocabulary when she was around out of respect for her. That was something he saved for when he went out with Motoki to have a few beers to de-stress and vent about their week, a tradition they started years back when both were still in med school, they spoke with no filters but because it was them and their level of confidence and brotherhood was too high to pay mind to curse words. Usagi blinked surprised by her boyfriend's choice of words, noticing it was indeed something he barely ever did unless he was very pissed about something or someone but nodded in agreement, "Well... he did become an a—"

"—Anyway," Mamoru scratched the back of his head and disrupted Usagi's intentions to follow his rant and poor choice of words, "Why are you so surprised by my lack of sympathy toward the man?"

"I don't know... it's rare..."

"Don't tell me you like him,"

"I don't _like_ him but I don't _hate_ him like apparently, you do,"

"I don't hate him, Usa, I just don't care about him, that's all." Mamoru shrugged his shoulders making Usagi chuckle, "That's even worse Mamo-chan,"

"Why is it worse?" Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and quirked a brow, "I know I can be very apathetic sometimes but this should not come as any surprise to you, Usako." Usagi sighed with a nod, completely agreeing with Mamoru, "Yeah... but, Minako-chan cares for him and that kind of obliges me to give him the benefit of the doubt..."

"But?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi took a deep breath and exhaled sadly "I do think the guy's a jerk..."

"You think?" Mamoru took a sip of his coffee, "Love, it's obvious. Minako is way too much for him and you know it—we all do—but you're right, if she's dating the man, we as her friends have to support her and keep our opinions to ourselves until she asks us otherwise,"

"Can I share them with you?"

"Of course, you can. Anytime."

Usagi sighed again, this time with more longing, "I know we have to support her. It's her life, her choice. Our duty is to be there when she needs us, whenever she feels down."

"That's right,"

"Minako-chan is not even going to that party because of him—not entirely. She is going because she wants to spend New Year's with all of us," she bit her lip, "That's why I didn't say no. I think we can make of this a good experience to remember in the years to come,"

"We will have fun, I promise." Mamoru winked an eye at her and finished his coffee, put his black mug in the sink and turned to his girlfriend who was still sitting like a curious child on the counter and walked over to her to give her a peck on her cheek. Usagi flicked a piece of his hair falling over his eyes and smiled, "Thank you," she leaned her head on his chest and sighed happily, "What for?" Mamoru blinked slightly confused, Usagi kissed his jaw, "For going with me to this party..."

"It's not a favor, love, it's something I want to do,"

"Still, it's out of your comfort zone..."

"Once in a while... it's okay,"

Usagi looked up with a big grin on her face, "I am going to put an extra effort to find something pretty to wear for that night now that my super handsome boyfriend is going with me," Mamoru cracked a shy chuckle as he tried to keep the blush on his cheeks under control, "You don't need to do that Usa, you could wear a paper bag and you would still take my breath away."

Usagi broke in laughter and pulled her boyfriend closer and trapped him by wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, "This is our last new year's as a single couple, nervous?"

Mamoru smiled, reacting quickly to her adorable taunting; he loved Usagi's mischievous side and how she improved her flirting game for him. He wasn't really sure when or how it began, but when he least expected it, the silver blonde had slowly stepped away from the childish shadow that had accompanied her for most of her teen years and became this confident, sensual woman with keen flirting and taunting skills and while she was still good old, quirky, sometimes klutzy and bubbly Usagi, when they were together she would show a side of her nobody knew and he loved it; they were their own kind when they were alone and that was something both enjoyed greatly because it was like they crafted this little secret just for them, their own little world away from the rest.

"Nervous?" Mamoru quirked a brow immediately responding to his fiancé's flirtatious game by leaning his face closer to hers and running his arms around her lower back, "Nah... more like anxious,"

Usagi blinked, "Really?"

"Oh, yes..." Mamoru nodded with a sensual grin and started giving her butterfly kisses down her neck again, "Really,"

"But... in a good way, right?" Usagi pulled back just a little to look into his blue eyes, Mamoru chuckled, "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" Usagi blushed and puckered her lips shamelessly, "Well... because you are a little strict when it comes about order and well... I am not the most organized person in the world,"

Mamoru chuckled again and planted a smooch on her cheek, "I am crazy about _you_ —about your organizing skills... well... that can be managed." He closed his eyes and trapped her lips in a loving and gentle kiss she responded to immediately. Seconds later, Usagi deepened the kiss and leaned her weight on her boyfriend focusing completely on enjoying her blissful moment and opened her eyes soon after the kiss ended. "I'm anxious too, I don't want to leave anymore."

Mamoru smiled, "You won't, very soon,"

Usagi blushed and nibbled her lower lip, "What about tonight, do I have to leave?"

"Oh, love..." Mamoru caressed Usagi's cheek, "You don't need to ask me something you already know the answer perfectly well,"

"Still, I feel like I need to ask," Usagi tilted her head, "This isn't my home just yet."

"Usa..." Mamoru chuckled, "This has been your home for a very, very, _very_ long time—even the building's manager knows that." He held her hands and brought them close to his chest, "The minute we committed to this relationship, everything I have, became yours too."

"Isn't that a little unfair?" Usagi blinked, startling Mamoru "Unfair? How?"

"You worked really hard for every single thing you have. Saying that this is also mine, makes me feel like I am just taking advantage of your own success... somehow..." Usagi looked at him shyly, "To me, that's unfair."

"You bring meaning to all this..." Mamoru opened his arms, "Because you are here with me, all this makes sense. Before you stepped into my life, I only had an empty space with a bed, a stiff couch, and a coffee machine. You helped me make this place a home I want to return to every single day. To me, that's more than fair."

"But you work so hard..." Usagi pouted her lips, Mamoru quirked his brow and tilted his head, "And you don't?" Usagi chuckled, "Yes, but I cannot compare my career to yours... you have the craziest schedule and the most demanding job and me well... I don't..."

"Usa," Mamoru smiled, "You and I are not the same. We couldn't be more different—it's impossible and that's what I love about us. I would never expect you to be just like me, imagine how things were if you were?"

"I really hope you are going somewhere with this..." Usagi narrowed her eyes making Mamoru laugh, "I admire what you do, honestly. I love the passion you put into every single thing you do. You bring the spark I need to lighten my mood after a long day at the hospital and don't get me wrong, I love my job, but that doesn't mean it doesn't wear me out every once in a while, it's very demanding, yes, and sometimes very overwhelming, but you make me feel better when you talk about your day and all the cool things you do at your job." He kissed her softly on the lips and smiled, "I can't draw, I can't sew or embroider and I definitely can't design a single thing... you are one very talented bunny,"

"Oh, come on..." Usagi chuckled, "You _can_ sew,"

"A button... wow," Mamoru rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I'm a tailor now," Usagi giggled "And you can draw..."

"A line." Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi smiled, "Still... it's a drawing."

"That is far from being a drawing," Mamoru pursed his lips, "I can't sing,"

"Sure, you can."

"Yeah, make fun of me..."

Usagi laughed, "I'm not! Okay, but you know how to dance,"

"You are deviating the subject, don't think I don't pay notice," Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "Usako, your job is demanding too—it requires a special skill and talent not everyone has; you should be very proud of yourself." Mamoru tapped her forehead with his finger, "Don't ever diminish what you do. Do not feel inferior to me just because our careers are not the same,"

"You earn way much more money that I do," Usagi bit her cheek, Mamoru sighed tiredly, "You don't know that, Usa,"

"You're a specialized doctor Mamo-chan, and you work at a private hospital, come on. And you also have other... you know, kind of income," Usagi narrowed her eyes; Mamoru crossed his arms and arched a brow, "Okay, so... if I earned more money, would it be a bad thing?"

"No, not at all,"

"Is it a problem for you?"

"No,"

"Then?"

"Well, if it was the other way around, wouldn't you feel like... I don't know... weird?"

"No," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and arched his brow, "Would you?"

"No," Usagi sighed, "I just want to be your equal Mamo-chan. I want you to be proud of me,"

"I _am_ proud of you— _very_ much," Mamoru cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, "Why is this an issue for you? Usako... I don't pay mind to that, in the end, it's for our benefit and for the life we want to start together. We have the liberty to choose how to spend the money we earn, and besides, nobody's counting. You are more than my equal and I want you to be happy, that's all I want."

Usagi blushed, "Really?"

"Yes, really." Mamoru pinched her nose gently, "This topic has been floating in the air for a while now and I would like to know why..."

Usagi bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, "Well... there's this girl who works with me in the same department and she brought it up one day during lunch. She doesn't know I'm getting married because I haven't told anyone but she's been saying lately how we must never let our guards down and we must never let men win because later on, they will feel like they own—"

"Okay, I have to stop you right there," Mamoru put finger on her pouty lips, "No, no, no..." he shook his head with clear annoyance, "No... this is wrong, _so_ wrong." he frowned, "Never let your guard down? What the hell is this... a competition? Is this how you see our relationship?"

Usagi blushed and looked away. She stayed silent and bit her lower lip to avoid speaking more than she already did, fearing to ruin their perfect little romantic moment but Mamoru wasn't having it, these were not the words of the woman he knew by heart and it bothered him it was playing with her mind and her emotions. It bothered him it made her feel insecure about them."

"Please look at me, Usagi."

Usagi widened her eyes at the mention of her name without any terms of endearment, showing genuine concern, "No," she shook her head with growing panic. Mamoru arched his brow, "Usagi."

"I can't,"

"Yes, you can. I'm right here."

"You're upset..."

"I'll only get upset if you don't turn and look at me,"

Usagi turned and locked his teary gaze on his intense eyes. Mamoru frowned, "Is this how you see our relationship?"

"No,"

"Are you competing with me?"

"No,"

Mamoru sighed exasperated, "Then what are you doing? _What_ are you trying to win? Enlighten me because I am not following."

"Nothing... I am not trying to win anything..."

"I want you to take a minute to take a deep breath and think how absurd all this sounds," Mamoru shook his head, "Usa, the only thing you are winning is a load of insecurities." He sighed, "I don't know her and I already know the kind of woman she is and it's appalling."

Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears, she noticed the playful gleam in Mamoru's blue eyes was gone at this point and so was the sweet tone in his voice. He looked tense and disconcerted, not really knowing what to do or what to say. She felt incredibly guilty for having killed the mood with her growing and very stupid insecurities.

"Mamo-chan..."

"Why do you pay attention to those things, Usagi?" Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "Why are they important to you?"

"They're not..."

"Then, what is going on? Why are you so affected by it?"

"I... don't know..." Usagi looked down and widened her eyes when she felt his hand drying the tears rolling down her cheeks, "Usa... don't lower your gaze, look at me, keep your eyes on me... please?"

Usagi took a deep breath and followed her boyfriend's request. Mamoru looked at her with that intense gaze of his, the very one she knew well whenever he was deadly serious about something, the one that wasn't open for any kind of negotiation, "Everything you see here and even the things you can't, but you know I have, are yours—the shaggy white carpet in the bedroom included." Usagi saw the faintest of smiles on his lips giving her enough confidence to rest her head on his chest, but let him continue, "You are much more amazing than you think you are Usa, I don't know how you can't see it..." he drew back and lifted her chin to look into her teary eyes, "But I am here to remind you every single day as many times you need to hear it. You're amazing. You're amazing. You're so amazing."

Usagi's eyes widened, "M-Mamo-chan..."

"Yes, it's true, nobody can tell you what to do—that I will give it to her. You have every right to harvest as much success as you want in your life but you have to do it _for you_ , not to compete with others. Do it, because it's something you know it will help you and make _you_ happy, not because you want to look down at people."

"I am not competing... or trying to win anything..." Usagi sniffled softly, feeling completely embarrassed for bringing this topic up, "I promise I am not,"

"Baby," Mamoru cupped her cheek softly, "We're a team, we've been together for a very long time, and somehow giving credit to what this girl is saying is like you were telling me you don't know me and it hurts,"

"But I do know you,"

"I know you do, better than anyone, that's why it hurts..." Mamoru tilted his head, "This is silly, Usa, please let it go and focus on more positive things. Focus on the bigger picture. You have an awesome career, great friends, a loving family... enjoy all of it without guilt or pressure. Be proud of all the things you've accomplished, keep growing, be happy... and for goodness sake, don't listen to that woman, okay?"

Usagi sniffled softly and chuckled, "Okay..."

"Promise?"

"Yes,"

"Okay," Mamoru kissed her temple and widened his eyes when he felt her arms tight around his waist; Usagi looked up with puppy eyes and pouty lips, "And you?"

"What about me?" Mamoru frowned, Usagi nodded, "You just said I have great friends and a loving family but... what about you? Do I have you?" Mamoru smiled and leaned down just inches far from her face, "You will always have me, Buns, that shouldn't be a question."

Usagi smiled and slid her hands under his t-shirt and caressed his back, Mamoru chuckled, "You are one mischievous bunny, you know that, right?" Usagi's cheeks turned two deeper shades of red and bit her lower lip; she was still learning how to master the art of seduction without turning into a beet but at this very moment she didn't care, "Maaaybe... does it bother you?"

"Never," Mamoru carried in his arms, "You don't need to ask me something you already know the answer perfectly well, my dear," with a smirk, he leaned down and kissed her softly making Usagi blush, "Good, because I'm not done..."

Mamoru smirked and started walking to the bedroom, "Say no more. You'll be staying with me."

O—o—o—o—O

The rest of the week went by very quietly, maybe because everyone was expecting to celebrate big at the upcoming party at the famous Conrad Tokyo Hotel.

Minako stepped down of her ride wearing a deep bronze open back cocktail dress that ended right above her knees and matched it with dark bronze heels. Her long blonde hair was styled in a messy fishtail braid giving a much younger flair to her overall outfit. Her makeup was focused on her eyes, with a perfect deep brown and bronze smoky eye and nude lips that made her cornflower blue eyes stand out even more. Behind her, Rei stepped out of the car next wearing a deep plum dress with bell chiffon sleeves and black high heels. Her raven colored hair was tied in a sleek low ponytail exposing her face; the Shinto priestess always opted for more classic styles when it came to her makeup and keeping it simple with a deep burgundy lip and a soft champagne color on her lids and subtle a charcoal-color liner on her eyes. Both girls had spoken the night before and agreed on arriving together at the venue after agreeing to her grandfather's insistence to go out and have fun for the holidays with her friends.

"There are Mako-chan and Ami-chan!" Rei smiled at Minako and waved her hand at her friends, "Hey!"

"Hey!" Makoto smiled widely and waved her hand with excitement; the tall brunette was wearing high waisted black pants with a wide leg and a sparkly black shirt with ivory trim with the same amount of sparkle. Her hair was kept up in her usual messy ponytail with a black velvet ribbon tied around it; her makeup was following Rei's classic line with a minimal line on her eyes and rich burgundy lip. Ami went to hug her friends and tuck a wavy strand of deep blue hair behind her ear. The bluenette had a vintage vibe in everything she wore, she loved the versatility between classic and modern of her tea-length black dress with off shoulders and a sparkly belt around her waist, to keep it in tone with the occasion. Her hair was styled in loose and messy beach waves styled to the side with a sparkly silver hairpin to keep in place; her makeup consisted of a soft bronze smoky eye and soft pink lips.

"You guys, you look amazing!" Minako gave each of her friends a hug and pulled back, "Ami-chan... that dress—perfect for tonight."

Ami smiled, "Right? I found it on a vintage store and asked Usa-chan to tweak it a little bit to give it a more updated look,"

"Huh, who would have thought Usa-chan had that talent so hidden... I always knew she was good with art but with sewing?" Makoto admired her friend's creation with pride, "I am _very_ impressed." Minako chuckled, "I know," she looked around, "By the way, have you seen her? Do you know if she's here already?"

"No, we just got here like, 10 minutes before you arrived," Ami said and looked around, "Maybe Mamoru is parking his car?"

"But, there's a valet..." Minako bit her lip and looked around a little hesitant catching Makoto's attention, "You okay Mina-chan?" The blonde nodded and turned to her friend, "Yeah, I was just looking if Nobu was somewhere around—I think he's inside," Minako smiled softly, "He had to come here sooner to get everything ready,"

"Hello, ladies,"

All four girls turned their heads and saw Motoki walking over to them holding Reika's hand, "Well look at you—if I didn't know you, I would totally think you girls are celebrities," he smiled and greeted each girl with a proper hug, "You have all the new year's vibe right on point,"

Makoto chuckled as she paid close attention to his outfit that consisted in a deep red velvet jacket with black lapels of the same material, a black shirt, and a sparkly bow tie, black slacks and black shoes, "And what about you? Looking fancy..." Motoki laughed, "Of course, I have to step up my game—Mamoru can't be the only one with a cool and suave vibe," he frowned, "By the way... where is that handsome couple?"

"I think they just arrived, dear," Reika pointed a black car just stopping at the entrance, outside the lobby, "He recently changed his car for a fancy new one, right?"

"Oh yes, he did." Motoki grinned proudly when he saw his friend stepping out of his car and going to the other side to help his beautiful fiancé get out of the sleek black car wearing a navy-blue velvet jumpsuit with long sleeves and a deep v neck decorated with tiny and delicate golden chains with little sparkly charms and a long faux fur black coat, protecting her from the chilling cold from outside. Her pale blonde hair was down and styled in loose, romantic waves with a middle part; much to everyone's surprise including Mamoru because wearing her hair down was something she rarely ever did. Her makeup was simple but elegant with a golden shimmery shadow, the thinnest cat eye, and a bold maroon matte lip.

The blonde doctor saw his friend give his keys to the valet before walking into the lobby. "But his biggest pride isn't the car, my dear, is who sits right next to him," Reika smiled with a nod, "Well, of course,"

As soon as she spotted her friends, Usagi waved her hand excitedly as she greeted them all, "I made it!" She smiled and turned to hold Mamoru's hand and lifted up with triumph, "Mamo-chan too!" The comment made everyone break into laughter, knowing he was the kind of guy who preferred to keep a low-key image, completely opposite to the life Motoki led since he started dating Reika.

"Well, well, well... look at you," Motoki flashed a grin at his best friend, "So, good old Chiba Mamoru decided to come out of his cave to welcome the new year like a true socialite."

Mamoru chuckled "If you say so..." under the fine black coat he was wearing, the young dark-haired doctor went classic mode with a dark gray suit a crisp white shirt and a sleek navy-blue tie, chosen no other by his fiancé to match her outfit paired nicely with black oxford leather shoes; the dashing man looked at his best friend up and down with slight surprise then frowned, "And what about you, Mr. Fashionista?"

"Hmm," Motoki blushed at the nickname and pulled Mamoru away from the girls, to have a little more privacy, "Clever boy,"

"A red velvet jacket _and_ a bow tie?" Mamoru widened his blue eyes when he leaned closer to take a good look at the bow on his neck, " _With_ sparkles?" He clicked his tongue, "Man, give someone a chance..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Motoki pursed his lips, Mamoru gave his friend a mocking grin "That's quite a statement outfit, even for you." Motoki sighed with defeat. "Reika chose this for me, man..."

"No, no—you really don't need to explain, I get it," Mamoru waved his hand, "To be fair, all jokes aside, only _you_ could pull this off... if I wore something like that I would look like a joke."

"Gee, thanks." Motoki frowned, "Seriously, is it really _that_ bad? I wasn't too excited to wear this but she went shopping for this, man! I couldn't say no... the jacket I can learn to like it but the bow tie..." the blonde tried to loosen up a little and sighed, "Not a fan." Mamoru laughed and patted his friend's shoulder, "Motoki, calm down—you look fine. I was just messing with you pretty much the same way you mess with me all the time,"

"Well yeah, but you don't have a problem dressing up with whatever and look cool. You're too damn handsome, it's annoying."

"So thoughtful of you... thanks."

"Well, you know me, I don't sugarcoat things,"

"I know," Mamoru arched his brow when he saw his friend trying to lose the boy tie, "Seriously, Motoki, let it go, you look good."

"Fine. I'll trust you, this time." Motoki turned to the girls then back at his friend with a grin, "Your fiancé looks incredible, with all due respect of course,"

"I know," Mamoru smiled proudly as he looked at her talking to her friends with excitement, thinking coming to these places was so much worth it as long as he got to see that big beautiful smile from her. Motoki noticed the look in his friend's eyes as he watched his girlfriend in silence like a man completely bedazzled by her, proving his deep love and devotion to her. He knew these types of events carved deep down into Mamoru's past and how it was something he promised himself not to fall into, and something that truly didn't match his lifestyle, but it was also a clear proof on how he would do anything for Usagi. The blonde man smiled as he crossed his arms in a casual manner, enjoying every second of it, he truly valued his friend's happiness and he was glad Usagi brought much-needed light into Mamoru's life, "I wonder if a certain person is going to think the same,"

"Who?"

"You know who,"

Mamoru frowned, "Uh, no... who?" Motoki looked around and leaned closer to his friend, "Shimuta-san..." Mamoru sighed with slight annoyance, "Ah..."

"Yeah,"

"I suppose you heard something..."

Motoki gave his friend a knowing smile, "Enough to know _they're_ here, friends and all," he nodded, "Reika's family knows a lot of people..."

"Of course, it doesn't surprise me at all," Mamoru crossed his arms, "And?"

"Nothing, I highly doubt that person knows you're here. It is a well-known fact this isn't your cup of tea and it is a big party. You aren't fond of these types of social events given your background... I'm actually surprised you came, I thought you were going to skip it, to be honest. I was actually going to call you for beers after this ended."

Mamoru gave his best friend a weak smile, "I wasn't... but... I know this is important to Usa. It's something she really wanted since she has never been to one of these parties and it's been a while since we have done something interesting for the holidays. I wasn't expecting something like this but... oh well," he shrugged his shoulders. Motoki smiled and nodded, "Love."

"Totally."

"I understand... I truly do." Motoki patted his friend's shoulder, "So, Minako-chan's boyfriend booked a table for all of you, right?"

"Yeah, he works as a promoter for this hotel—or something like that,"

Motoki chuckled at the uninterested tone in his friend's voice whenever he talked about Minako's fickle boyfriend. He had his own thoughts about him too but just like Mamoru, he chose to keep his opinions to himself out of respect for his blonde friend, "Yeah, I was pretty much doomed since this party was announced. Reika and her family always come to these things... my soul was instantly lifted when Minako told me all of you were coming."

"Oh, come on Motoki, you love the attention, don't try to sympathize with me about this," Mamoru chuckled, "Unlike me, this _is_ your cup of tea—did you already forget just how big your wedding was?"

"I know, I know... but in my defense, that was all Reika, man... all Reika." Motoki sighed, "Sometimes is hard to keep up but I love her too much not to try,"

"I know," Mamoru smiled and patted his friend's shoulder "I truly know, it gets overwhelming,"

Motoki let out a soft sigh and nodded, "Yeah..." before he could continue, Reika came closer and straightened the dark lapel of his velvet red jacket, "What do you think Mamoru, classy, right? It's a vintage designer piece." Mamoru made his best effort to nod in agreement and smiled, "No kidding, that is one fine piece of clothing,"

"Seriously," Reika chuckled, "Doesn't Motoki look handsome?"

"Huh, now that you mention it..." Mamoru tilted his head, "Yes, he's one handsome man... very festive, too."

Motoki sighed with defeat, "Boy, I need a drink,"

Usagi caught up with them and held Mamoru's hand, "Mamo-chan... we're going in. Nobu-san just found Minako-chan and he's taking us to our table," she turned to Motoki and Reika, "Will you be joining us?" Reika smiled and nodded with excitement, "Yes, actually, our table is next to yours!"

"Ohh that's great!" Usagi smiled widely; both Mamoru and Motoki exchanged glances and sighed with relief, "Thank god," they said in unison. Reika chuckled and took Motoki's hand, "Oh, before we go in, let's go say hi to Shitaka-san, she's been asking for you," she turned to her friends and waved her hand, "We'll see you inside guys!"

Usagi nodded and turned to Mamoru with a knowing smile, "Ready, love?" Mamoru nodded, "Sure, after you, Princess." Usagi giggled and walked back to her friends while holding hands with him and waited for the host to check their names and lead them to their table.

O—o—O

The ballroom at The Conrad had one of the best views of the bay and the city in the distance. All the decor was all in black and white with accents in gold to give that special amount of sparkle to the occasion. Minako's boyfriend, Nobu, finally made his appearance looking charming with his white jacket with black lapel, black pants, and a golden tie "Hi everyone," he flashed a toothy grin at them, "I'm glad you could make it,"

Everyone greeted the man politely and walked inside the elegant ballroom, "Your table is one of the exclusives—I managed to pull some strings and make some quick changes so you could have a nice spot."

"Thank you, Nobu-san," Ami said softly as she took her seat between Makoto and Rei. Minako took hers next to Usagi who was sitting next to Mamoru, who's back was right on par with Motoki's. Nobu reserved a seat between Minako and Rei and smiled, "I have to take care of some things but I will be back soon after for dinner, so save this seat for me, alright?" Minako smiled with a nod and kissed him on his cheek before he left the table. Ami blinked surprised, "Dinner?"

"I know, I just found out they serve this really fancy dinner too," Minako smiled, "But Nobu told me that after dinner the real party starts,"

"Good ambiance and a good meal—I won't complain." Makoto smiled and turned to the waiter who was asking her if she wanted something to drink, "A glass of champagne, please." Rei chuckled, "Mako-chan... champagne?"

"It's New Year's Eve and we're here at this super fancy place—of course, I am drinking champagne!" The tall brunette smiled, "And I think you should too."

"Alright," Rei smiled and turned to the waiter, "A glass for me too,"

"Me too," Minako raised her hand, "I will have a glass of Pinot Grigio," Ami said softly, Usagi turned with a smile "One glass of Rosé for me, please." The waiter nodded "Alright, and for the gentleman?"

"A glass of Cabernet, thank you,"

The waiter nodded, "Excellent choice, I will be right back with your beverages." Usagi blinked and turned to Mamoru with a curious look, making Mamoru chuckle, "What?"

"You're so elite..." Usagi smiled, Mamoru chuckled and pinched her nose softly, "I just ordered red wine—that's not elite,"

The waiter didn't take long to deliver their drinks, and as soon as he put the glass of red wine in front of Mamoru, Usagi couldn't help to stare at the deep colored beverage with curious eyes, "Want to take a sip?" he asked softly; Usagi bit her lower lip softly, "Why do I have the feeling that it's as strong and bitter as the coffee you drink every morning?"

Mamoru chuckled, "Well, I won't lie to you, it's not as sweet as your Rosé, but you won't know if you don't try it, who knows? You might be surprised," he slid the glass in front of her and smiled, "It's not as bitter as you might think it is,"

Usagi gave her boyfriend a dubious look and took his glass; she took a small sip, her eyes widened as she put the glass back in front of him and swallowed the velvety drink slowly and coughed softly, "Too strong—too strong for me..."

"Here, drink some water." Mamoru gave her his glass of water, Usagi nodded and took the small sip, "I mean... it's not bad... but..." she blinked and looked at the glass of red wine then at her boyfriend, "Can I have another sip?" Mamoru chuckled and slid his glass to her again. Usagi held the glass and took a small sniff and smiled "I smell cranberry and cherry," she leaned closer to her boyfriend and put the glass close enough for him to take a small sniff too, "You smell cranberry?"

"Yes, you don't?" Usagi frowned and took another sniff, "It's right there!"

"I mean... I'm not saying there are no fruity notes in this..." Mamoru frowned and turned to his girlfriend, "I'm surprised you are not complaining about it, this is the least sweet wine..."

"Well, this might be the first drink I agree with you it's good." Usagi took another sip startling Mamoru, "Want this glass?"

"No, I have my good and trusty Rosé," Usagi smiled at him and took another sip of his glass of cabernet. Minako felt a wave of tenderness while she looked at the couple happily talking and smiling at each other and turned to take her flute glass of champagne, "I would like to make a toast,"

Everyone turned to look at her, Minako smiled widely "It's been a while since we did something for new year's and I'm glad we are here together," she turned to look at the couple next to her, "I'm happy to have you all as my friends—we've been through some crazy things over the years, we've cried and laughed and become this little family that I wouldn't change for anything in the world."

"Are you guys making a toast without me?!" Motoki stood behind Usagi and patted his friend's shoulder, "Am I not part of that family of yours?" Minako giggled, "Of course you are silly! Join our toast!"

"Where's Reika?" Makoto blinked and turned to look around, Motoki chuckled "Oh, my wife... she's greeting another family I don't know, but, I count for the two of us, so... the toast—I want to add something," he grabbed his glass of red wine and raised it slightly above his head, "In all seriousness, I'm really happy to be part of this family—I have no secret talents like you all do but I always felt included in your adventures which makes me a hell of a lucky guy. So, here's to another year full of adventures!"

"To another year!" Everyone said in unison and clicked their glasses together, "And we have a wedding this next year! Finally!" The blonde wrapped one arm around Usagi's shoulder and pulled her back lovingly, "Are you nervous Usa-chan? You're marrying the weirdest guy I know," Usagi started laughing; Mamoru arched his brow "Says the man in a velvet tux," he turned to take his glass and had a sip of his wine; Motoki slapped Mamoru's shoulder and laughed "Hey, it's vintage!"

"Reika-san picked it out for you, didn't she?" Usagi asked between chuckles, Motoki sighed with a nod, "Yes, please don't tell her I hate it—she's very proud of it."

"I promise I won't tell," Usagi laughed and clapped with excitement, "Ohhh! Since we are looking all sharp and nicely dressed up, we should take advantage of the occasion and take a group picture once the party starts!"

"Yes!" Makoto raised her hands happily, "That's a great idea! We need to upgrade the picture from five years ago!"

"Sounds perfect," Motoki sighed when he saw dinner was about to be served, "Alright you guys, save a seat for Reika and me for later... I don't feel like I want to snob all night—they're about to serve dinner," he took his seat on the next table and kissed his wife's hand. The waiters served the first course, goat cheese and bacon stuffed dates with a balsamic vinaigrette glaze followed by a strawberry and spinach salad. Rei looked at her perfectly decorated salad plate and blinked, "My goodness, this is so fancy,"

"I know, right?" Makoto smiled, "I'm taking notes on how to make a replica of each course—you know, for when I get to have my own place,"

"This is very good," Ami chewed a stuffed date from her salad, "And I am not too fond of adding fruit to my salads..." Rei nodded, "Yeah, me neither but it is really good."

"Mako-chan, you need to make this for our next reunion," Minako said happily and looked at the waiter take her small plate and replace it with a bowl of soup, "The second course—so, how many are they?" She turned to her boyfriend who was still finishing his salad, "Five, I think."

"Five?!" Minako blinked, "They're really stuffing us with good food, huh?"

"Of course," Nobu smiled at her, "This is a very upscale place, everything they serve is top notch—wait until the real party starts."

Mamoru took a sip of his water and turned to Usagi and blinked, "You okay, Usa?"

"I can't figure the flavor of this soup—I mean, it's very good but... what's in it? Why is it orange?" Usagi swirled her spoon inside and sniffed, "Is it carrot soup? I would be truly surprised if it's carrot since I don't like them..."

"It's pumpkin soup... I think," Mamoru mimicked his girlfriend's method and swirled his spoon in the soup before taking another taste, "Yeah... pumpkin,"

"Haven't had pumpkin in a soup—it's good." Usagi smiled and continued eating in silence until she was halfway done with her bowl and waited for the waiter to take it away and replace it with the third course. "The portions are so small but I am so full already—" she mumbled as she looked at her neatly decorated plate with two lamb chops a side of herb roasted potatoes and zesty green springs over a brush stroke of olive oil, "I should have worn a dress—I'm so full and we're not close to being done,"

Mamoru chuckled as he cut a piece of his lamb, "You don't have to eat it all,"

"I don't like to waste food," Usagi let out a long puff of air, "But I really can't eat anymore... I'm so full..."

"I know... and we have one more course to go—this is the entrée," Minako turned to her startled friend, "What?! One more?" Usagi blinked, "What else are they going to give us?"

"Dessert," Mamoru joined the conversation, Usagi let out another heavy puff of air, "I think this would be the first time I could skip dessert..." Mamoru looked at her with surprise, "What?" His blonde girlfriend nodded, "I know, but that's how full I am," her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw the mouthwatering truffle brownie with berries being served and sighed, "Oh no..."

"What is it Usa-chan?" Ami chuckled from her seat next to Mamoru, Usagi took a sip of her rosé and took a deep breath, "It's a brownie—I can't say no to a brownie that looks this good. It would be a sin to skip on this one."

"Hey, Mamoru," Motoki leaned back in his seat and patted his dark-haired friend's shoulder, "Clear my suspicions... is that Hikoya-san?"

"Where?" Mamoru leaned back in his seat and looked right where Motoki was motioning with his glass, "There—the table close to the window, at six o'clock," Motoki narrowed his green eyes, "It's him, right?"

"I think so..." Mamoru frowned, "Yes, he is but—" both doctors widened their eyes when they saw the sixty-year-old man securing his arm around a much younger woman's waist, "Wait... is that..." Motoki blinked, "That's not his wife..." Mamoru blinked and turned to Motoki with bewilderment, "What?"

"Yeah, that's not his wife—wow, well look at that, not so moral now, huh?" Motoki let out a heavy puff of air. Mamoru frowned "You really don't think he—" Motoki laughed in response and turned to his dark-haired friend with a sly look on his face, "What? Don't tell me you do,"

"Uh..." Mamoru pursed his lips as he looked at the older man who was now kissing the girl shamelessly and turned to look away, "Okay, whoa... too much, too much,"

"That's _not_ his wife!" Motoki patted his friend's shoulder, Mamoru sighed "Maybe he got divorced and got married again..."

"What makes you so sure about it?" Motoki frowned, "Really Mamoru? Of all people... I am surprised by your sudden spark of innocence, I mean, _look_ at them!"

"Yeah, I rather not to, they're on each other tonsils—it's too much to bear," Mamoru flinched with disgust; Motoki shook his head, "No, no... I am sure that's not his wife,"

Mamoru sighed, "Well then, let him deal with his cheating ass—turn around,"

"No, I need to clear this out of the way," Motoki turned to Ami who was having a conversation with Makoto and Rei, "Ami-chan!"

"Really Motoki?" Mamoru narrowed his eyes at his friend who was now waving his hand at Ami, asking her to come closer, the blonde frowned with annoyance, "Mamoru, that man is always lecturing us on how to keep a clean image—he's on my nerves all the time, and even yours, why aren't you more intrigued?"

"Because, Motoki, I don't care,"

"Ah, prude,"

Mamoru cocked a brow, "Excuse me?" Motoki chuckled and turned to Ami who was now standing next to Mamoru with a puzzled look on her face, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Ami," Motoki waved his hand, "Come closer," Ami blinked with evident surprise, "Are you two gossiping?"

"Motoki is," Mamoru mumbled with annoyance, the comment made Motoki laugh, "Face it, you too!" He looked at his bluenette friend, "Ami, the man at your 6 o'clock... do you recognize him?" Ami turned slyly over her shoulder at the table in the distance, "Oh, yes... that's Hikoya-san,"

"Yes!" Motoki nodded, "You know his wife, right?"

"My mother does, but I know who she is. I've seen her around the hospital every now and then... she is always throwing fancy dinners for charity,"

"Okay... is that woman his wife?"

"Who?"

"The girl next to him with that... is that a dress or a shirt?"

"Seriously?" Mamoru turned heavily annoyed at Motoki, "That's what you are looking at?"

Ami turned again and saw the man kissing the young woman again and gasped with shock making both Motoki and Mamoru break in laughter, "Whoaaaa! Whoaaaa!" The blonde shook his head, "Goodness... that man is going to town with those kisses, talking about keeping an image..."

"This is a social event—it's incredibly sassy of him to be cheating on his wife in front of all these people that clearly know them, what the hell?" Mamoru turned to look away, completely embarrassed by the whole situation, "Ugh, no... he's sucking the life out that girl with those kisses, oh no, no, no, no..."

"Isn't he always giving lectures to everyone on proper behavior, religion, and such?" Ami widened her eyes and looked away when he turned to kiss the girl again, "Oh, no..."

"I can't keep up with this," Mamoru said with disgust and pushed his friend away, "Motoki—stop staring!"

"I'm thinking on what I should say to him next time he stops by my office to talk to me about keeping a good image for the for the sake of the hospital's reputation," Motoki frowned, "That hypocrite son of a bitch..."

"Well, after this... I highly doubt there is any good reputation left to save," Ami mumbled with surprise, "Or his marriage..." Mamoru shook his head and turned on his seat completely ignoring Motoki's rant and sighed, catching Usagi's attention, "What was that all about?"

"A member of the hospital board—he's with a girl that is not his wife... and when I say girl, I mean a _girl_." Mamoru mumbled, still very bewildered by the man's graphic shows of affection towards his date, Usagi blinked, "Seriously?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded and took a sip of his red wine to dilute the man's bad image in his mind, "Seriously,"

"I heard Furu-chan ranting about something," Usagi chuckled, "Why is he so upset?"

"Because the man's all about keeping a proper image—he's always giving moral lectures to everyone at the hospital with religious views to a point no one would believe he would do such thing, especially when his wife is part of the charity committee."

"Oh, that's not good..." Usagi gasped, Mamoru shook his head "No, it's not."

Usagi leaned closer and gave him a peck on his cheek, "I'm going to the powder room, I need to quick-fix my makeup..."

Mamoru quickly stood up to help her with her chair and offered her his hand to help her stand, making her blush, "You are quite the prince charming," Mamoru smiled, "I have to look over my princess," Usagi giggled shyly, "I will be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Mamoru smiled and watched his girlfriend walk away and took his seat again. He turned and saw Nobu having a conversation with the girls about the play he was about to star in and while he really wanted to engage in the conversation in Minako's support, he really was not interested in what the man was saying, although, he had to admit that this was probably the first time he saw the man speak with such excitement and interest about something. This was the most he had heard him speak in the two years he has been dating the blonde. With a soft sigh, he turned to thank the waiter for his new glass of red wine and out of nowhere he felt a weird vibe going his way, like he was being observed.

Mamoru looked up and quickly found the reason for it; several tables across from his. From a crowded table, a very familiar face was staring back at him with wide eyes of genuine shock. Mamoru felt his blood had turned cold in his veins and for some reason, he could not take his eyes off the woman sitting next to a man he knew was her husband. The woman was around his same age, wearing a high-end black sequin dress with a plunging neckline and sparkly jewels that proved her wealth and the fine life she had led over the years. Her face was of one that tried to assimilate the situation not even trying to keep her shock under control. She tried to smile but just like him, there was tension written all over her face. She raised her hand and slightly waved her hand at him, trying to break the invisible but more than obvious wall of awkwardness, one Mamoru was also aware of existing but instead of trying to figure it out, he felt obliged to be polite as possible and raised his glass in response without a trace of sympathy in his handsome face. He nodded acknowledging the moment and her but immediately broke the weak contact between the two by taking a sip of his wine and looking away, startling the woman and leaving her with not much option but to return to the conversation held on her table, far away from him.

Usagi returned seconds later and smiled when Mamoru put a new glass of rosé in front of her, "Hi," she smiled widely; Mamoru felt like the warmth in his body had returned and flashed her a toothy grin, "Hi,"

"Missed me?" She giggled playfully, Mamoru nodded, still feeling the piercing gaze from across the room on him and sighed softly, "I did," he took a long sip of his wine, "I sure did..."

O—o—O

The night had finally taken a much livelier vibe. After dinner, the tall windows of the ballroom were opened to the large terrace that led to an even largest garden with the best view of Tokyo Bay. As Nobu had promised, the event was so well organized that the staff at the hotel soon guided the guests to continue the party at an adjoint ballroom that had equally elegant but more festive decorations with tall tables with tea candles and many cocktail lounges in the grand terrace and garden giving more room for the guests to walk around and dance to the music playing live, "Oh, my! This is amazing!" Minako said happily as she raised her glass and moved from one side to the other at the beat of the music with Makoto dancing next to her, "No wonder why this place is known for its New Year's Eve Parties!" The tall girl took a sip of her champagne.

"Let's take a picture!" Usagi raised her arms and looked for her phone in her night purse, "I still a have a good amount of charge on my phone!" She turned to Minako, "Mina-chan, where's Nobu-san?"

"Ah," Minako waved her hand, "He went to check on something with the manager, he'll be back soon."

Usagi nodded and prepared her phone and so did her blonde friend, "Double selfie!" She said cheerfully. Usagi chuckled and posed for the picture doing her classing bunny ears and Minako popped her fingers to do her classic V sign over her right eye and both snapped the picture on their phones, "Aww I love it!" Minako smiled, "You frame my picture and I'll frame yours!" Usagi nodded, "Deal," then turned to Rei and snapped another selfie with Rei elegantly showing her glass of champagne and then went to have another selfie with Ami and Makoto, "I want all these pictures to make an album!" Makoto said excitedly while she surfed through the pictures Usagi had taken with her phone, "These are great Usa-chan! One can totally tell that you work at a magazine!" Usagi laughed, "Aw Mako-chan, you're so sweet!"

"So, when am I going to take a picture with my favorite Bunny-chan, eh?" Motoki smiled and turned to Makoto, "Hey! Where have you been? I haven't seen you since dinner!" Makoto laughed, "Me? I've been here the whole time! It's you and your new social life that has kept you off the loop all night!"

"I know," Motoki smiled and wrapped his arm around Makoto's shoulder, "It's hard to keep up with these social gatherings, but I was so happy when I knew you guys were coming that I didn't say no this time."

"Didn't say no? I thought you liked the attention?" Makoto took a sip of her champagne and squealed with glee when Motoki pulled her close and started to dance with her to the beat of the electro swing playing in the background, "Remember this song?" He smiled, Makoto nodded "How can I forget? We used to go out dancing with this song playing nonstop in your car," she smiled.

"Good times,"

"Very good ones," Makoto cupped his cheek, "How's married life, really? How is this new lifestyle working out for you?"

Motoki turned to take her hand and kiss it softly. There was no doubt there was love between the two, the good kind, one that started out as something that could be interpreted as romantic and somehow changed its course to become a much more platonic feeling—innocent even.

"It's a little high-maintenance, to be honest. More than I imagined it to be. I know I can tell you things as they are, Mako, you and Mamoru are my closest friends and only you two know my life as an open book so I can't lie to you when I say that this past year has been quite the adventure. It's not bad and I am not complaining, I love Reika to death, but sometimes this social part of my marriage wears me out a little from time to time,"

"Like these parties?"

"Exactly like these parties, though, I wished they were all like this," Motoki laughed, "They are usually more toned down—boring," Motoki bounced his head to the beat of the jazzy song and smiled at his friend, "And you? How are you doing?"

"Ah," Makoto took a sip of her champagne, "I'm doing alright. Work's slow, but good—not dating at the moment, not very much interested either although a new sous chef just joined the team, he's cute, he's nice but... I don't know, we're just colleagues."

"You heard the news, I suppose," Motoki gave her a more serious look, Makoto nodded, "Yep, he got engaged a couple of months ago... it's easier for a guy to get over a five-year relationship, I guess."

"Huh, well, I take you didn't hear the whole story,"

"What do you mean?"

"Mako," Motoki arched his brow, "You do know _why_ he's getting married, right?" It didn't take Makoto long to understand what Motoki was trying to say and widened her eyes in pure shock, "No..."

"I saw them at the hospital, I know the Ob-Gyn that's going to deliver their baby—she's happy, he's... meh," Motoki waved his hand and made a funny grimace, "Let's say not so much but neither the girl's family." He took a sip of his wine, "So, in the end, all this was a fling that ended with much more responsibility than committing to a perfectly stable relationship."

"This will sound awful but..." Makoto sighed with relief, "Do you know just how happy your news just made me?"

"I know, that's why I told you." Motoki smiled, "I don't sugar coat things to you Mako, you may be a sweetheart but you know how to take a punch of brutal honesty... so, there, you're free." Makoto wrapped her arms around Motoki and laughed, "I missed you, you're so cool," she drew back and flipped the lapel on his jacket playfully, "That jacket—not so much,"

"You too?"

Makoto chuckled, "Who else has mocked your jacket?"

"Mamoru—to no end,"

"Of course," Makoto laughed, "But, come on... can you blame him?"

"Where is he anyway?" Motoki turned to look around but only saw Usagi bouncing like a bunny rabbit to the lively beat of the electro-swing music while she took more pictures with her friends, "Usa-chan!" He called out to her; Usagi turned and waved her hand, "Get in the picture you two!"

Both Makoto and Motoki joined Rei, Ami, Minako, and Reika, "Okay, at the count of three! And I want to see your biggest smile! One... Two... Three!" Usagi chuckled and looked down at the picture, Motoki leaned closer "Hey, Usa-chan, where's your fiancé?"

"Oh," Usagi blushed at the mention of his new title and looked up at Motoki with a proud smile, "He went to get us another glass of wine,"

"Having fun?" The blonde asked his lovely friend, Usagi nodded "Yes! I wasn't expecting any of this, it's so cool! Although I've been trying to take a picture with all of us but there's always someone missing!"

"Ah, look, your fiancé's back!" Motoki pulled Mamoru and secured him with an arm around his shoulders, "Having fun?" Mamoru smiled and took a sip of his wine, "Surprisingly, I am."

"But?"

"There's no but,"

"Of course, there is," Motoki chuckled, "With you, there's always a but when it comes to events like these," Mamoru took a sip of his wine and put it on their lounge table, "I will always feel overwhelmed in places this crowded, but I can take it."

"There you go," Motoki laughed, "Man, Usa-chan sure does wonders with you—in another time there's no way you would be in a place like this," he smiled, "But look how happy she is," both men turned to look at Usagi dancing with Minako and Rei while sipping wine from another glass, "Yes, she's..." Mamoru's eyes widened "Wait..." he turned to the table and found his glass gone, "She stole my wine..."

Motoki threw his head back in laughter, "No wonder why she's _that_ happy, she's drinking red wine,"

"Her father is going to murder me," Mamoru blinked as she watched her dance from one side to the other with her friends without a care in the world, Motoki laughed louder this time, "You got his precious daughter drunk," Mamoru chuckled, "I really wasn't expecting her to like that wine,"

"Why?"

"Because she's used to fruity wines like Rosé or Moscato,"

Motoki patted his friend's shoulder, "It's part of the charm of being at a huge party like this, so, you better come up with a good excuse to give to her parents as to why you are not taking her home," Mamoru chuckled and asked the waiter for another glass of wine, "Yeah... I'll figure something out."

Minutes after, Usagi walked over to their table and put the empty glass in front of Mamoru, "You okay?" He asked her, Usagi nodded effusively with a smile, "That wine is _good_ ,"

"Yeah, it is,"

"Can I have another glass?"

"Sure," Mamoru smiled and slid another glass in front of her, "But drink this first,"

"Water?" Usagi frowned with disappointment, "Why?"

"You don't want a hangover caused by wine—they're the worst, trust me." Mamoru looked at her and chuckled, "What?"

"Hmm..." Usagi cocked a brow, "How do _you_ know they're the worst?"

"Wine is not forgiving, dear, that's all I can say," Mamoru laughed, "I saw a lot of crazy hangover adventures when I had the night shift at the hospital and when asked, they all turned out to be caused by wine... that's why I'm asking you to drink water every once in a while,"

"Really? Like what?" Usagi blinked surprised, Mamoru chuckled and took a sip of his wine "It's better if you don't know," Usagi leaned closer to her boyfriend and chuckled, "Okay, I'll listen to my handsome doctor and drink more water." She took a long sip of water and wrapped an arm around his waist from under his jacket and looked up as they slowly moved with the much more chill vibe of the lounge music in the background, "Are you having fun Mamo-chan?" She held his hand and smiled when she felt his fingers intertwining with hers, "I am," he leaned down and kissed her temple, "I don't need to ask you if you are having fun, you've been dancing like a bunny all night," Usagi laughed, "I'm happy to be with all of you, I'm happy because you are here with me,"

Mamoru ran his arm around her waist and swayed with her to the sound of the music and kissed her again, "Always," Usagi blushed, "Always, always?"

"Always," Mamoru smiled and spun her around making her chuckle with pure joy and pulled her back into his arms and kept dancing with her, "You look incredibly beautiful, you know that?" Usagi smiled shyly, "You just say it because you're my boyfriend..." Mamoru chuckled, "Of course, but also because it's the truth," Usagi stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips and chuckled at her failed attempts, "I am literally wearing the highest high-heels I own right now and I still can't give you a proper kiss," Mamoru chuckled and leaned down, "Just ask!"

"No! I wanted it to be spontaneous and romantic!" Usagi laughed, "But you're too tall!"

Mamoru lifted her in his arms and kissed her deeply on the lips and put her down after a couple of minutes and winked an eye at her making her blush three shades of red, "Like that?"

"Exactly like that," Usagi smiled with mischief. "But, do you know what else I want?"

"What?"

Usagi took her phone, "A freaking picture with all of us! I've been trying all night and there is always someone missing or there are strangers photobombing the frame!" She grabbed his hand and walked over to the girls who were dancing and talking with Motoki and Reika, "Okay—are we all here!? Nobody's missing?" Motoki laughed, "Oh right! The picture! Okay, gather up, I'll take it Usa-chan,"

"No! You have to be there too! I'll ask a waiter to take it..." she turned to find one available but Nobu appeared to the rescue, "I'll take it Usagi-san,"

"Ah, Nobu-san! Thank you!" She ran happily to join the others too and smiled, Nobu chuckled "Alright, at the count of three! One... Two... Three!" He snapped the picture and extended his hand, "Hold it! I'm taking another one! At the count of three! One, two... three!" Like a natural instinct, they lost all poise and glamour and made it unique and spontaneous—like them.

"Ahhh! This one's a great picture!" Nobu chuckled, and showed the girls the picture and started laughing; Motoki jumped right in the perfect time that looked like he was floating in the air high-fiving a laughing Mamoru, Reika was smiling like she was never seen in pictures before next to Rei, Minako, Ami, Makoto and Usagi who all had their arms up in the air while flashing their best grins.

"I am going to frame this picture! It's so great!" Usagi smiled and turned to Nobu with the biggest grin of accomplishment, "Thank you sooo sooo much!"

"You are very welcome Usagi-san," Nobu gave her back her phone and turned to Minako, who had her arms around his waist lovingly.

"Hey, what time is it?" Ami asked, Rei blinked and looked for her phone "Oh, right!"

"It's quarter to midnight!" Makoto said happily, "We must refill our glasses before the new year arrives!"

"Oh! Yes, yes!" Rei turned and asked for another round of drinks to the waiter before turning to Ami and smiled, "I am not starting this next year with the wrong foot."

"You won't Rei-chan," Ami smiled, "I know this year was rough but the next to come will be much better,"

"Thanks, Ami-chan," Rei patted her friend's hand, "At least I want to gather up enough courage to ask Yuiichiro to leave the shrine and tell my grandfather the truth..." she sighed tiredly, "I really hope things take a better turn,"

"They will... I don't know why, but I have a feeling that something big is going to happen for us next year," Ami smiled and thanked the waited for the drinks. Rei chuckled and raised her glass, "Cheers to that, Ami-chan!" Motoki stood next to them with Reika by his side and smiled "Okay ladies, the countdown is about to begin!"

"Woohoo!" Minako exclaimed with joy and looked at the projector in the distance, "There's going to be fireworks?!" Makoto nodded with a smile. "Seems like it,"

Usagi was still looking at the picture with a big smile on her face and turned to Mamoru who had brought two refills of red wine and gave one glass to Usagi, "The countdown will start any minute now," Usagi smiled and took her glass, "I want to frame this picture, it's so great," Mamoru chuckled and leaned down to look at it, "It's a very good picture," Usagi nodded and looked at her boyfriend, "I just realized something..."

"What?"

"I've been so focused on getting the perfect picture of all of us together and I took lots of selfies with the girls but I haven't taken one with just you," Usagi took out her phone again but just when she was about to snap the picture her phone went dead, "Wait, what!?"

"What?"

Usagi tried to turn it on again quickly, "My phone died!"

 _"Ten!"_

"No, no, nooo! Wait!" Usagi tried to turn on her phone again, Mamoru started laughing, "Usa, you can't ask time to wait..."

 _"Nine!"_

"Yes, I can!"

 _"Eight!"_

"Noooo, wait!"

 _"Seven!"_

"Usa, we can take it after this end,"

 _"Six!"_

"No! There won't be time!"

"What?"

 _"Five!"_

"Damn it! I knew I should have brought my external battery—I charged my phone completely to take a picture with you,"

 _"Four!"_

"We don't have recent pictures together!"

 _"Three!"_

Usagi sighed with defeat, "Oh well,"

 _"Two!"_

"What? No, not _oh well_ , no! I won't have it!" Mamoru reacted quickly and looked for his phone in his pocket and pulled Usagi into his arms and extended his arm and pressed the camera button to snap the picture, "One!"

 _"Happy New Year!"_

Usagi, still blinded by the flash from Mamoru's camera turned to her boyfriend with the widest of smiles and kissed him fully on the lips, "To the Moon and back... I love you," he whispered, making her blush, "To the world we belong, I love _you_ , you're the best!" She turned to grab his phone to look at the picture and instantly fell in love with it, "Oh my god... I love it..."

"What?" Mamoru smiled and leaned closer to her, Usagi looked up at him with teary eyes, "I love it... this picture... it's so perfect." Mamoru chuckled when he saw the picture. It was below average. It was taken with a crooked angle, bad exposition that made the background looked dark and blurry, "It has terrible lighting, Usako..."

"But the timing is perfect," Usagi smiled at him, "And you made that special smile only for me—that's what makes it perfect. It's honest and spontaneous... it's my favorite picture of us."

Mamoru pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. There was so much love and passion put into that kiss that Usagi couldn't help to feel completely owned by the moment; it was perfect and it was theirs—all theirs. After a couple of minutes, both parted and turned to look outside when the fireworks started cracking in the sky in various shapes, sizes, and colors as they made their way to the terrace to meet their friends who were already there enjoying the show and held hands.

Usagi smiled with excitement as she looked up, with the full moon glowing like a pearl in the sky and the many stars glittering like diamonds around it while she silently thanked all the good things in her life: her friends, her family, her job, and her loving boyfriend that soon was finally going to live a new life with her as her husband. This new year was going to bring new opportunities, challenges, experiences to her but what truly mattered to her is that she was going to live it to the fullest and with the people she loves the most regardless of what comes their way. As she looked up at the big colorful fireworks in the sky, Usagi tightened her grip on her boyfriend's hand and exhaled softly, "I love you, Endymion."

Mamoru smiled and gave her girlfriend's hand a small tug, "I love you too, Serenity."

"Please stay with me,"

"Always,"

"No matter what?"

"No matter what,"

"And if we have to part ways for whatever reason?"

"It will only be for a short while,"

"And what if it's for a longer period of time?"

"I will always find my way back to you..."

Usagi turned with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, "Do you promise?" Mamoru looked at her and kissed her hand softly, "I swear."

"Here's to a new year, Mamo-chan,"

"To a new year, my precious Usako."

* * *

 _*AN: For an extra reference on this chapter, you can read chapter 43 of Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife._

 _I would like to make a quick note about this chapter: This story was written while I was still working on the early stages of the story (III) so, I want to point out that I forgot to fix the time when this was actually set. In one of the chapters of the story I say this happened just a month after Motoki got married, but, in this chapter, they have been married for a year. The real-time setting is the one described here, it's a little mistake I forgot to fix when I published the chapter and now I can't because I would have to delete the chapter and work on it all over again without disrupting the order of the chapters already published._

 _This short (or so) stories are set in the Divinity series' timeline but if you are not a follower of the stories, that's okay, they work on their own and they're easy to follow. If you are, you will see these are easter eggs from the story and it helps you understand some details and tie some loose ends; if you are reading my current story, keep these little shorts in mind, you will get it in time ;)_

 _Thank you for the support and patience. We will soon be back to our good old schedule and back on track with chapter 33. I wish you a very merry happy new year full of good stuff and good vibes!_


	3. A tissue to the rescue

Divinity – A day in the life.

 _A tissue to the rescue – Extra Chapter_

* * *

It was a lovely November afternoon; the trees had started changing colors and leaves had already started to fall. The breeze from outside no longer felt moist but a little chillier as the sun slowly moved across the sky, obliging everyone to pull out that sweater everyone always forgets they have hanging at the very back of their closets.

Everything was nice, really, except for the fact that Mamoru could not enjoy any of that afternoon goodness until he finished editing the document he had open on his laptop. The quick sound of his typing was the only thing that accompanied him in the solitude of his living room and not that he minded silence but felt frustrated for feeling like he was going nowhere with what he was doing.

After two long years of internship and another round of years to earn his residency and consequently, his fellowship, it came as no surprise that Furuhata Motoki, now, an accomplished surgeon, would choose the new addition to the staff of the very fancy and much renowned Tokyo Hospital as his best man; the always charming but very hermetic Chiba Mamoru. Their close friendship, however, came as a big shock among the other members of the medical staff at first because of the kilometric differences between both young doctors.

Furuhata Motoki was a charmer and a playful spirit since day one, he loved pranking his fellow peers and he was always found smiling for whatever reason, he was known to be a happy and cheerful man. Mamoru on the other side had a more reserved personality and he always had a magnetic, more serious and mysterious vibe around him. When he first started his residency at the hospital he felt the pressure of meeting the strict and very high standards a renowned hospital carries with its name, leaving him with little to no time to socialize, not even with his girlfriend, who now, after four long years, was on the final stretch to get her degree in Art and Design at Keio University.

It wasn't long for the staff at the hospital learn that they had been close friends for years before they both had a career and that underneath all that seriousness, Mamoru was still young at heart and had some playful personality when the time allowed him to show it, making sense as to why those two got along so well. With Motoki being two years older than Mamoru, he had privileges and advantages the other young man still had to earn for himself but the minute Mamoru was done with his internship, Motoki offered his friend a place in his medical team once he finished his specialization in Internal Medicine and became an early resident due to his outstanding performance and skills at his twenty-five years of age; and now, as his mentor and superior, he was supporting the young doctor on his road to complete his fellowship in the near future, one he could achieve if he continued with that impressive rhythm and finished his training on his sub-specialization.

And now, the newly hired resident was sitting on his sofa with a mug of coffee that had gone cold on the side table as he continued cropping and adding words on his toast for Motoki and Reika's wedding for the hundredth time.

"It is great to finally see you two embark—no, start? No..." Mamoru grumbled with exhaustion as he ran a hand through his now disheveled dark hair. "I suck at this..." he mumbled and tilted his head back to take a minute to cool his thoughts and come up with words that didn't sound like they came straight out of a Hallmark holiday card. It was a strange sight, to see the always impeccable man wearing a loose pair of grey sweatpants and a grey hoodie, sitting with both legs crossed in buddha style on his couch, grumbling and groaning with a major writer's block. He stretched his arms back as he let out a loud yawn and covered his face with both hands in frustration.

It didn't take long until he heard an inaudible conversation happening outside in the hall that started to distract him and it was until he heard a very familiar giggle that his attention was completely stolen from the blinking cursor in his word processor to the door at the foyer.

 _"Thank you again, Takahina-san, so, so, much! You are really a life saver..."_

 _"No problem Tsukino-san, here you go,"_

 _"Thank you, thank you! I promise I will hold tight to these and not lose sight of them again,"_

Mamoru arched his brow as he patiently waited for the blonde to push the door open and sighed softly as he made a mental note of paying the locksmith another visit. After another good five minutes of casual conversation with the building manager, Usagi finally pushed the door open and walked inside without realizing that her boyfriend was home. The silver blonde tossed the new set of keys on the small table in the foyer and quickly took her grey booties before walking towards the kitchen to raid her boyfriend's always neatly stocked fridge.

"Now... what flavor should I pick today... hmm..." Usagi mumbled as she looked through her ice cream options, "Strawberry-Banana? Hm... I had that yesterday... Vanilla Bean? Nah... too plain... A-ha!"

"That one is mine!"

Usagi jolted with surprise at the sound of Mamoru's voice coming from the other side of the apartment and quickly popped her head out of the fridge and looked at him sitting on the couch with wide eyes, "M-Mamo-chan!" Mamoru quirked a quizzical brow, "You were going to steal _my_ chocolate ice cream, aren't you?"

Usagi blinked, "No..." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes with suspicion, "Then what's that in your hand?"

"…Yogurt,"

"You don't like yogurt..."

Usagi bit her lower lip and walked over to the living room, "What if..." Mamoru tilted his head back and exhaled softly, "Ah, here goes..."

"...I make a deal with you over this decadent chocolate ice cream, eh?" Usagi smiled at his boyfriend and waved the small pint of ice cream in front of him while wiggling her brows. Mamoru turned to look at her with exhaustion and smiled softly, "Alright, what are you willing to give in exchange for _my_ chocolate ice cream?" Twenty-two-year-old Usagi gave her boyfriend a mischievous grin and blushed, "I will clean the kit—wait," she widened her eyes, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"What?"

"It's six in the afternoon on a Friday, aren't you supposed to be working?" Usagi looked at the clock and then back at her boyfriend with disbelief and stepped back to take a look at him with shock, "Are you're wearing sweats?"

"My shift was moved again and I had to be at the hospital at 4:00 a.m. so, I got out earlier... whatever that means—I worked for 13 hours straight," Mamoru frowned, "What's wrong with me wearing sweats?" Usagi shook her head, still shocked "Nothing, it's just that you usually wear sweats when you don't go to work or... oh..."

"What?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi went to sit next to him on the sofa and put the pint of ice cream on the coffee table before turning at him, "Rough day, huh?"

After knowing each other for so many years, Mamoru was still amazed by how Usagi could decode every single little thing he did, like for example, wearing sweats when he had anything planned for the day and just wanted to chill lazily at his place, when he did some cleaning around the apartment or, when he had a rough day and needed to de-stress. A handsome smile came to view as he curled his finger around a loose piece of hair framing his girlfriend's face, "A little, yes." Usagi looked at his disheveled hair and used her fingers to comb it back, "Did you have to work with that mean old doctor again?"

"Osuna? Yeah... for a while." Mamoru mumbled with disinterest, "Good thing Motoki called me to assist him with a new case right after so, things got better after that,"

"Is that what you were doing right before I got here?" Usagi turned to the screen of his laptop; Mamoru let out a tired sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "No... I was working on my toast for Motoki's wedding,"

Usagi widened her eyes and turned to look at him, "Mamo-chan, the wedding's tomorrow."

"I know,"

"In twenty-four hours,"

"I know,"

"You are the best man,"

"I know..."

The silver blonde frowned and placed her hand on his forehead, "Are you alright?" Mamoru chuckled, 'Yes, I'm alright—why?"

"Well, you are always so responsible and this is your best friend's wedding..." Usagi pulled back, "Doing things at the very last minute is so unlike you," Mamoru sighed, "I wrote a draft some time ago but with the amount of work I've been having lately I couldn't work on it... until now."

"And?" Usagi leaned closer to take a look at the document, "How's it going?"

Mamoru ran his hand through his hair again and pointed the ice cream in front of him, "Care to share that with me?"

" _That_ bad?" Usagi chuckled as she leaned to open the pint of ice cream and scooped some of the chocolatey goodness out with her spoon and offered it to her boyfriend. Mamoru shrugged his shoulders as he savored and chew the small chunks of dark chocolate pieces mixed in the ice cream. "I don't want it to sound so generic—that's all. He chose me over his step-father to give a speech on probably the most important day of his life... I need to come up with something better than I wish you a long life of joy and happiness... cheers."

"But, you do wish them a long life of joy and happiness." Usagi took another spoonful of the decadent chocolate ice cream and leaned closer to share it with her boyfriend, "Although... I understand what you mean, you don't want it to sound like it came straight out of a greeting card,"

"Exactly," Mamoru mumbled as he melted the ice cream in his mouth and savored the rich chocolatey flavor; he nodded and tilted his head back and closed his eyes, "I suck at this..."

"You don't suck, you're good with words!" Usagi patted her boyfriend's shoulder and took another look at what Mamoru had written so far and smiled shyly, "That's how you got me in the first place, with sweet, sweet words." Mamoru peered at her through one eye and frowned, "What?"

"That's how you made me fall in love with you," Usagi turned with a smile on her face and took another spoonful of ice cream. Mamoru shook his head, "Wait, what? What about our millenary romance and the fact that we found each other in a new era?"

"Well, that _too_ but come on—that is not how we first met in this era." Usagi giggled, "You used your charming voice and words to win my heart... you even called me _Usako_ a few days after we met,"

"Well yes, because I liked you and I wanted to go out with you... but I can't do that with Motoki," Mamoru leaned back and closed his eyes again, "I'm a robot— I have no feelings or whatsoever." The comment made Usagi break in laughter, "You are not a robot! Well... only a little,"

"Thanks," Mamoru mumbled tiredly. Usagi put the ice cream on the small table next to the sofa where his mug was half full of cold coffee and realized that he was tenser than she thought. She understood to perfection as to why he was so worried about something any other person could do with such ease; she knew Mamoru had a much smaller group of friends than she did, meaning, that he was much more reserved and private with his life, and somehow, even with his friends from college who he occasionally met for beers and to catch up from time to time it was nothing compared to the close relationship he had with Motoki.

Motoki had become like a brother to him and surprisingly to everyone, Mamoru was like a brother to Motoki too. Over the years of knowing each other, they learned so many things about them that actually made realize they had a lot more of things in common than they imagined and the fact that he knew their secret it only brought them closer despite their different personalities and small age difference.

Like Mamoru, Motoki understood what solitude felt like; while he did have a family, he never really nurtured a close relationship with his step-father after his father passed away from cancer years ago, giving him some very interesting and challenging moments during his teenage years and while he adored his little sister, Unazuki, with all his heart, it was understandable that there was a preference because she was the man's legitimate daughter.

Motoki had friends, he had a lot of other options for him to choose as his best man, one who could give a perfect speech but he had chosen him. It could have been a cousin, a childhood friend, a friend from med-school, a friend from the parlor or the arcade but he chose Mamoru, he wanted him to speak on behalf of the couple and that gave a whole different meaning and weight to the whole thing.

Usagi leaned closer to him and started to comb his hair with her fingers in a soft and constant motion, knowing the gesture would definitely help him lose all the tension he hadn't manage to get rid of by wearing his favorite sweatpants and hoodie. Both stayed in silence for a while until she noticed his breathing started to slow down and smiled with accomplishment as she had finally peeled off the final layer of Mamoru's stoic character.

"Mamo-chan..."

"Mm..."

Usagi leaned closer to him and kissed his cheek, "You do know why Motoki chose you to make the toast, right?"

Mamoru hummed softly, still enjoying the little head massage but the silver-blonde took it as an answer, a negative answer and a cue to continue. Usagi turned to look at his laptop and gave the speech a quick read before placing it over the coffee table with much care and turned to her boyfriend snoozing next to her, "Motoki chose you, because you, unlike any of his other friends, know him for who he really is."

This was enough for Mamoru to open his eyes; Usagi continued combing his hair back and nodded with understanding, "Motoki-oniisan is very playful and carefree with everyone, he's approachable and everyone thinks he is like that all the time. Everyone thinks he is one privileged guy whose family owns a very popular arcade and a restaurant— but you, on the other hand, you have seen a side of him no one else had... not even me or any of the girls—Mako probably, but you know what I mean. You know things about his life he hasn't shared with anyone else and while others might think he is a flirt, you know how much he loves and how dedicated he is to Reika-san. I think what you have written so far is great, but, it is what you just said—generic because those aren't the words a best friend would say to his best friend on his wedding day." Mamoru turned to look at his girlfriend and cupped her cheek with his hand, "God, I love you..."

Usagi blushed and rubbed her nose against his Eskimo style and kissed him softly on the lips, "I love you too..." she ran one arm around his neck in a flirtatious way and smiled, "When we get married... are you going to choose him to make the toast?"

Mamoru ran his hand under Usagi's pale yellow fluffy sweater and caressed her lower back, "I think it would be best if your father did it and Motoki agrees with me," he leaned his head back more relaxed as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes, "I am already marrying his daughter—I think my back has endured enough of his ice darts to last me a lifetime." the comment made Usagi giggle, "Oh, come on Mamo-chan, Papa likes you,"

"Yes... of course..." Mamoru sighed softly and pulled Usagi closer, securing both arms around her waist as she scoots her way onto his lap, "I like _you_ ,"

"Oh, you do?" Usagi looked at him shyly as she played with his hoodie, Mamoru nodded "Mmhm..."

Usagi leaned down and snuggled her head in the nook between his head and shoulders and inhaled with deep yearning, "I want to live with you already... I want to stay here... with you... forever." Mamoru tightened his arms around her and kissed her head, "Me too Buns, we're almost there... we just have to wait a little longer, I promise."

"I feel like we have waited enough,"

"It's because we have..."

Usagi pulled back enough to be able to look into his azure eyes, "Then why don't we move in together?" her fingers trailed his jawline and the shape of his inviting lips, "What if we elope somewhere and get married?" Mamoru blinked with surprise, "You really want me dead, don't you?" Usagi frowned, "What? No! Why?"

"Your father would hunt me down to the very end of this planet if I ever came up with something like that," Mamoru tucked a strand of loose hair behind Usagi's ear, "My love, if I want to take his precious daughter with me, I have to do it right—I know how much you have dreamt on having a perfect wedding and I want to give that to you."

Usagi pouted her lips, "But... I want to be with you..."

"Me too Usa, so, _so_ , much..." Mamoru breathed in the delicate jasmine notes of her perfume, "More than anything in this world, trust me. I'm tired of going to bed alone and waking up alone... but we must do this right. You've been working so hard to get your degree and you are almost there... I just got my residency at the hospital and soon I'll have a more stable schedule that will allow us to spend more time together; I am working extra hard to earn my fellowship sooner, Motoki is also helping me speed up the process by giving me much more complicated cases that will help me prove that I have what it takes to earn a permanent position there and give you the life you deserve—sweats and all."

Usagi ran her arms all around his back and took a deep breath. As much as she hated it, she knew Mamoru was right; true, as an adult couple they had more mature liberties than they did before—well, some, because she still had to lie to her parents every time she wanted to stay with him using many excuses she wasn't even sure her mother believed anymore. But the timing while more flexible for them because they were both older and in a more serious stage of their relationship, it was still not right for them to marry; things weren't like they were two thousand years ago but they still had to overcome some challenges that would allow them to be together.

Usagi understood what Mamoru was trying to say; it would be very hard for her to be married to a man she could barely see because he currently had the strangest and most hectic schedules at work. He was still working his way up at the hospital and she was still dealing with mid-terms and ambitious projects from her faculty. Some days he would be at the hospital at 4 a.m. while others he had to take the night shift which she had to admit that sometimes it came in handy when she had to study or work on some projects and she couldn't do it at her house because Shingo was hosting a party with all his friends and also, because she wouldn't get distracted with Mamoru's gorgeousness.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Usagi ran her hand under his hoodie and t-shirt until she touched the warm skin of his stomach, "What are you doing?" she heard Mamoru asking with a genuine dubious tone in his voice; Usagi snickered and moved her hand up to his chest, "What do you think?"

"Are you seducing me?"

Usagi slid her other hand and caressed his chest and took a deep breath, "Is it working?" Mamoru drew back a little to look at her and flashed her a sensual grin, "Having you near is enough to seduce me, dear."

"Have I told you just how handsome you are?" Usagi blushed and combed his hair back, "In sweats and all?" Mamoru let out a hearty laugh, "Noted, I'll wear sweats more often,"

"Even when we get married?" Usagi snickered as she leaned closer and brushed her lips on his, Mamoru hummed softly while enjoying every second of her sweet and playful taunts. "I'll wear them so much, you'll get tired of them."

"I kind of like this hoodie, by the way..."

"I know..." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "I've seen the faint trails of paint and food on the hem and sleeves, I know you've been wearing it when I'm not here." Usagi blushed, "It's because I miss you!"

"You use the sleeves of my favorite hoodie as a napkin because you miss me?" Mamoru arched his brow, "That's cute..."

"No!" Usagi laughed, "I like wearing it because it smells like you, it makes me feel closer to you, somehow... and... well, it's also very cozy, I can see why you like it so much," she bit her lower lip, "Can I have it?" Mamoru chuckled, "Sure, but only when I am not around... promise me that whenever you use it you'll keep in mind that I'm thinking of you, wherever I am."

"I promise," Usagi's sweet smile changed into a more sensual one with high hints of mischief, "Can I have it now?" Mamoru let out a soft chuckle, following her little seductive game, "I don't know... can you?" Usagi leaned closer as she traced the lines of his toned abs with the tips of her fingers and blushed, "Can I have _you_?" Mamoru nibbled her lower lip softly, "You have me..."

"Now?"

"Always,"

Usagi tried to take full ownership of the grey hoodie and took a deep breath when she realized that no matter how much she tried to play her sensual game she always gave in to his charms. Mamoru smiled and raised his arms to allow her to pull the hoodie up and sighed softly, "Well, now I'm cold..." Usagi cupped his face with her hands, "That can easily be solved." Mamoru chuckled and kissed her forehead gently, "I have to finish working on that speech my darling Usako,"

"Oh!" Usagi drew back and blushed, "Right! Right—the speech!" she smiled and gave him a peck on his lips before she rolled to the side and leaned to grab the pint of ice cream and stirred her spoon inside with a frown, "I'll go put this back in the freezer, it's all melted now... no good." she turned and gave Mamoru the sweetest of smiles and walked back to the kitchen.

Mamoru watched Usagi in silence like a lion studying its partner's every move, savoring every minute she was there with him. He loved every inch of her, her quirky personality, her adorable and contagious laugh, her playful grins and glares and the adorable way she always tried to play seductive games with him. He knew she was trying her best to be a little more daring and straightforward when it came to sparking the passion between them but she would always end up saying something cheesy or silly that would eventually make them break in laughter.

It took a few years for Usagi to decipher Mamoru; while they knew each other well for years it was not until they gave their relationship a more mature and intimate turn when she discovered just how passionate, playful, and devoted the man could be with her. He made her feel things she didn't believe were even possible to be felt to a point that just being around him was exciting and addicting. Slowly but surely, Usagi learned how she needed to approach the man if she wanted more than just caresses and sweet kisses but little did she know that just by being in the same room as him was enough to have him at her mercy.

He turned to his laptop to continue working on the toast for the wedding and immediately felt annoyed with just looking at the lit screen. Mamoru didn't like to be told what to do, he never liked it despite trying to give in in the past; he never was going to like it and right now, the incessive cursor blinking in his screen was demanding his attention and he was hating every second of it. With much resolution and pride, the young doctor shut the lid of his laptop with a soft grunt silently claiming his victory over the machine and went after his girlfriend who was still deciding what to get from the refrigerator.

Her eyes widened when she felt him pulling her into his arms in a loving embrace and drew back to look at him with genuine surprise, "What—" Mamoru pushed the refrigerator door close with disinterest and locked his lips with hers in a loving, passionate kiss she certainly wasn't going to waste. After a couple of minutes of pure bliss, he opened his eyes, wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up making her squeal with delight, "What are you doing?" Mamoru gave her a sensual grin, "What do you think?"

"Are you seducing me?" Usagi smiled with complicity,

"Is it working?" Mamoru leaned closer and gave her butterfly kisses all down her neck, "Maybe..." Usagi breathed between soft moans and looked at him, "But... the speech... you have to—"

"—It's in 24 hours, I will figure something out and if I don't, I'll improvise..." Mamoru tightened his arms around Usagi as he carried her to his bedroom. Usagi blinked "But... you are not much of an improviser..."

"Well, I will have to put those skills to the test... you, my dear, are worth all of my attention." Mamoru kicked his bedroom door and closed it behind him.

O—o—o—o—O

The next day, Usagi walked out of her house wearing a black organza A-line gown with long sleeves and a deep v neckline lined with lace in the same color. Her silver-blonde hair was tied back in a sleek low ponytail with a golden pin on its back accentuating her meticulous and classic makeup consisting in a thin lined cat eye and deep red velvety lips.

Mamoru stepped out of his car wearing an impeccable black suit with a crisp white shirt underneath and a deep burgundy tie, as the bride much insisted because it was the color she had chosen for her bridesmaids. He froze the minute he watched her walk with so much elegance and confidence towards him and smiled "My god..." he breathed with awe. Usagi chuckled and gave a quick turn to let him appreciate the whole look on her, "Do you like it?"

"I like _you_ ," Mamoru leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips, "You look beautiful,"

Usagi blushed, "You too—" she pulled back and straightened his tie and let out a chuckle, "So, _this_ is the famous color Reika-san was so insistent about,"

"That's the one."

"What a peculiar color—what's it again?"

"Garnet-Merlot... with hints of Sangria,"

"That sounds _very_ specific,"

"That's Reika," Mamoru chuckled and helped his girlfriend get inside his classic dark red sedan and walked back to take his seat behind the wheel, he turned the engine and drove to take the express highway that would take them all the way downtown. "You know what I've been thinking?" Usagi turned to look at her handsome boyfriend behind the wheel, "What's that Buns?" he smiled at her as he switched the gear from fourth to fifth with the manual stick.

"How I should drive more often,"

Mamoru peered an eye at her, "Really?"

"Yes, I think I should do it more often regardless of not knowing how to park between two cars but I don't have to do that if I don't want to, right?" Usagi chuckled and turned to look out the window again; Mamoru smiled, "Well... that _is_ true... but, Usa, you don't like to drive or at least that's what you have said many times before."

"I can give it another chance... plus, I think it would be useful if I did because I could take the wheel whenever you feel tired or you just can't drive for whatever reason. Although, I don't know how to drive this one..." Usagi pouted her lips, "I'm not good at coordinating the clutch and the manual stick..."

"You get used to it," Mamoru said softly as he peered the rear-view mirror to switch lanes and take the next exit, "It's all about practice,"

"Hm, true... I'll ask Haruka to teach me again since my original instructor gave up on me,"

"I didn't give up on you, _you_ did!" Mamoru laughed as he stopped at the line of the valet parking. After 30 good minutes stuck in traffic they had finally arrived where the whole wedding was going to take place, the very famous and exclusive Ritz-Carlton Hotel at the very heart of downtown Tokyo.

From whatever angle that was seen, it looked like this wedding had a whole other level of lavishness. It didn't come as a surprise since Reika was known to have an eye for expensive things; she was the kind of girl that always wore a different outfit every time and that she had the latest trends on her hands. The most fashionable clothes, the fanciest makeup, the coolest and most expensive perfumes—Reika had them all, so when they all knew she was going to marry Motoki, it came as no surprise that her wedding was going to be crazy expensive. The amazing thing about it was that despite coming from a very wealthy household, she didn't have a snobbish attitude and she always treated everyone kindly and with respect and even when Motoki was seen as a privileged guy, it was nothing compared to Reika's lifestyle and family.

"Okay, no wonder why the invitation had the words formal attire in bold and underlined—this place is amazing..." Usagi mumbled as she took Mamoru's hand and walked into the exclusive building. Mamoru chuckled "Yeah... it is quite something,"

"Usagi-chan!"

Usagi turned to a very cheerful Minako walking along with Ami, Rei, and Makoto all wearing formal gowns to meet the occasion. "Hey!" Usagi smiled widely and gave each and one of her friends a heartfelt hug, "You made it!"

Minako pulled back and chuckled, "Are you kidding me? And miss this super elegant and fancy wedding? No way." The beautiful blonde was wearing a rich purple floor-length gown with flowy sleeves, she had a crystal embroidered detailing on her waist and it had a heart neckline that exposed her decollate elegantly. Her hair was styled in lavishing old Hollywood curls with a deep side part and to make honor to her hair, her makeup also followed the vibe with a bold deep burgundy lip and gold shimmery touch on her eyes.

"But, it is expected..." Ami joined the conversation. The future doctor went for a modest boat neck forest green evening gown with delicate tulle skirt adorned with beaded flowers at the hem, her hair also had a vintage vibe, but less provocative than Minako's with a subtler take on the side part and tighter curls that framed her heart-shaped face. Her makeup was kept minimal, rosy cheeks and a pinky gloss were matched her subtle smoky eye in earthy tones. "With Reika-san being the bride..."

"You got that right," The young cook chuckled, "But also, I had to see Motoki's face the minute Reika walks down the aisle," The young cook opted for a simple deep burgundy velvet gown with a v neckline and long sleeves, her long chocolate hair was styled in a reverse fishtail braid with a few golden accents pinned all the way down. Her makeup also consisted of a deep plum smoky eye but unlike Ami's delicate approach, Makoto paired it with a nude lip making the hazel color of her eye really stand out.

Much to everyone's surprise since it was never her color of choice, Rei wore a halter gown in a rich navy blue color. The silhouette was classic and elegant and it paired it nicely with a silky cravat in the same color of her dress. Her makeup was also kept minimal with a sleek cat eye and a peachy color on her lips and a few accents of sparkle with her teardrop-shaped earrings and bracelet. "Look at you all fancy looking!" She smiled at the couple, "You two look great,"

Usagi chuckled, "Thank you Rei-chan, you too—all of you." she frowned and looked around, "Hey, where's Yuiichiro?"

"He's with the valet people, he'll join us soon," Rei smiled and turned to a grinning Minako, "What?"

"Thinking about how your own wedding is going to be, huh?"

Rei blushed, "No..." she arched her brow, "Hey, by the way, where is Nobu-san? Wasn't he supposed to come too?" Minako sighed softly and shook her head, "Yeah... he has an audition tomorrow and he said he had to look his best. He's been having a rough time and well... I have to be supportive," Rei pulled her friend close and rested one arm on her shoulders, "I understand,"

Makoto smiled and looked at the girls now joking with Rei and turned to nudge Mamoru on the ribs playfully, "So, best man, you ready? You're giving the toast, right?"

"Yes," Mamoru smiled when he saw Usagi blush making him remember the events of the day before that completely distracted him from continuing working on it. "Let's see how that goes..."

"The step-dad?" Makoto asked softly, Mamoru tightened his lips for a second and nodded, "Yeah... he wasn't too fond of the idea of not giving the toast for the bride and groom,"

"Hmm... I figured, he's probably not too happy about this whole extravagant experience either," the tall brunette looked at the grand foyer with close attention, "I heard he's not used to so much glamour,"

Mamoru knew Makoto had a close relationship with Motoki, may be easily compared to the one he had with him; they became close friends after graduating high-school and when she started her journey in the culinary world so it came as no surprise she knew the strained relationship the blonde had with his step-father. "He's not much fond of anything, really..."

"So I heard," Makoto hummed, "That the man is like a potato."

Mamoru laughed, "Yeah, sort of..." he looked down at his watch and pursed his lips, "Speaking of potatoes, I will go check on the groom and see if he doesn't need anything," Makoto chuckled, "Alright cool, I'll look after your Princess,"

Mamoru smiled "Thanks, Mako," he turned and went to let Usagi know before walking to the opposite side of the foyer as he was informed by a staff member the dressing rooms for exclusive use of the bridal party were located when a man stopped Mamoru mid-track when he called him by his name like if he knew him very well, "Mamoru?"

Mamoru turned and looked at a man with dark brown hair looking at him and immediately recognized his face but preferred to stay silent. The man turned to who appeared to be his date or wife, Mamoru didn't really pay much attention if he was wearing a ring or not and walked towards him to greet him like if he was the best of friends with him, "You're Chiba Mamoru, right?" his grin widened, "Hey man, how come you're here?"

"Can I help you?" Mamoru frowned; the man chuckled and patted Mamoru's shoulder casually, "Oh come on, it's me, Sasaka Daichi! You really don't remember me?"

"No," Mamoru muttered dryly, he knew perfectly well who the man was but he had little to no interest in acknowledging him or starting a conversation with him. "I don't know who you are." he cleared his throat, "If you excuse me, I have to be somewhere else, so... you have a good night." He shrugged his shoulder with coldness and disinterest and turned to walk away. The man watched Mamoru walking away with wide eyes and thinking how much he had changed since the last time he saw him at a Christmas party here at the Ritz, many years ago.

The girls noticed the strange conversation between the two men. Minako turned with a frown at Usagi, "Hey, Usa-chan... do you know who that guy is?"

"No, not at all," Usagi shook her head, "I guess he must be someone he knows from med school,"

"Mamoru looked like he wasn't too into what he was telling him," Minako chuckled; Usagi nodded "Yeah... probably, if there's something I have learned about Mamo-chan over the years is that if there's a person he doesn't like, he won't be rude but he won't be friendly either... and that's the perfect example."

"Must have been a jerk at school or something,"

"Yeah..." Usagi pursed her lips in wonder, "Probably..."

Yuiichiro caught up with them minutes later and held Rei's hand, "What did I miss?" The priestess smiled and shook her head, "Nothing, but we should go and find out a good seat to see the couple in all their glory,"

O—o—O

Inside his dressing room, Motoki was standing in front of the mirror undoing his dark burgundy tie matching his black suit for the tenth time since he got there when he heard a knock on his door, followed by a curious Mamoru peering inside. "Hey,"

"Hey!" Motoki smiled and turned to greet his friend and best man, "You made it!" he wrapped one arm around his best friend's shoulder and patted it in a brotherly fashion and pulled back. Mamoru chuckled "What, don't tell me you really thought I wasn't going to come..."

"Well, I don't know—maybe Osuna had a last-minute request and you had no other option but to comply... I don't know," Motoki laughed when he saw Mamoru rolling his eyes with annoyance, "So you see it too, that man doesn't like me that much—I'm not crazy,"

"No man, you're not crazy—sorry."

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "Well, there is nothing much I can do—I got a change of schedule so I won't get to see him that much once I start my fellowship,"

"He's old-fashioned, he's been part of the med-board for many years," Motoki turned to look at himself in the mirror and grunted when he couldn't get his tie right once again; Mamoru frowned, "Motoki, _what_ the hell are you doing?"

Motoki pulled the silky piece of fabric with annoyance and sighed, "This stupid tie... I can't work with it,"

"Let me see," Mamoru went to help him and started by placing the wide tail over the thin tail; Motoki cleared his throat and peered down at his friend working with the silk tie, "So... how does it look outside?"

Mamoru brought the wide tail behind the thin tail and down through the loop between Motoki's neck and brought the wide tail through the loop, behind the knot. "Crowded, that's a big wedding you are about to have—nervous?" he brought the wide tail back through the loop his finger created in the center of the knot and finished by tightening the knot using both hands and draw it up to the collar. "There,"

Motoki turned to look at him in the mirror and smiled widely, "Ah, man—thank you!" he chuckled, "Nah, I'm cool—I don't know why everybody cries at weddings, sure, it's romantic and all but to go all the way and cry? It's too much." He grinned and turned to grab a small box and handed his friend Reika's ring, "Here, before I forget and you know— _he_ has to give it to me or something,"

"Hmm..." Mamoru grabbed the ring box and put in one of the inside pockets of his suit's jacket, "By the way—how is he taking all of this? This is easily the wedding of the century and he's not much part of it,"

Motoki pursed his lips, "He is but... as a guest, that's all. What did he expect? He has never been a fatherly figure to me—mine is looking at me from up there," he pointed up and shrugged his shoulders, "And you're here, that's all I care about." Mamoru patted his friend's shoulder, "Always,"

Motoki smiled, "And I'll be there on your wedding with Usa-chan, somebody has to protect you from her dad," Mamoru broke in laughter, "You better,"

"Have you set a date already?"

Mamoru shook his head, "No, not yet—Usagi needs to finish college first and I need to get a more stable schedule and position at the hospital." He sighed and sat in one of the fancy lounge chairs across from Motoki, "I want to do things right Motoki, I know we've been together for a long time but there are things to be done before we can start a life together as husband and wife." he smiled softly, "She asked me if I was okay with the idea of eloping and getting married somewhere else, away from everyone."

Motoki widened his eyes, "Whoa, really?"

"Yeah,"

"And? What did you tell her?"

"What I just told you," Mamoru sighed softly, "She has dreamt of what would be her ideal wedding for so long... I can't take that away from her, I want to give her that and more... plus, her father would hunt me down if I did something like that." Motoki sat on another lounge chair and crossed his arms, "I understand... that strong desire to be able to provide that special person everything she asks for without having to rely on anything or anyone else. Trust me, I know, and I support your decision,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Although, I don't think I could ever give her a wedding as big as this one," Motoki laughed, "Hey, you could easily match or even top this wedding with the money you have saved in the bank but I know Usagi-chan is not like that or you, for that matter, this is all Reika's idea..."

"Oh, I know," Mamoru chuckled, "Totally,"

Motoki smiled, "Yeah... but I love her man, I love her with all my heart. If having a wedding this fancy and big was going to make this day perfect for her, I had to work extra hard to give it to her... although, her dad had to do with it too. I admit—he had to give some use to all that money he has... and what better excuse than his daughter's wedding." Mamoru crossed his arms and frowned, "I do not have that much money—just to put that fact out of the way; you are taking it way out of proportion."

Motoki laughed, "Mamoru... come on. Your late parents knew Reika's parents and only people with that serious amount of wealth can trust and socialize with each other—just because you try to ignore it and don't like to talk about it or use that money doesn't mean it's not true—and you know it."

"My father was an expert in finances and worked at the stock market—he got to advise and manage many cases for the Nishimura's family businesses for years," Mamoru sighed, "Or so, I was told..." he shook his head and frowned, noticing he had spoken too much about that part of his life he much preferred to keep under the radar, "Wait, why are we talking about this?"

Motoki was about to say something when a soft knock interrupted their conversation as Unaziki walked inside wearing her one shoulder bridesmaid gown in the same specific burgundy shade as Mamoru's tie. "Oniisan... you ready?" she turned and blushed when she saw Mamoru silently asking herself to keep her cool before her all-time platonic crush, "Hey, Mamoru-san—look at you, all fancy!"

Mamoru smiled, "You too, Unazuki—you look great,"

Unazuki blushed, "Thank you," the young bridesmaid chuckled to shake the blush still warming her cheeks and smiled, "Hey, I just saw Usagi-chan walking towards the chapel with her friends, she looks sooo pretty... you two make a beautiful couple,"

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled and pointed the box she was carrying with her, "What do you have there?"

"O-Oh! Right!" Unazuki opened the small box in her hands and turned to her brother and pinned the boutonniere on his jacket's lapel and turned to Mamoru and pinned the other on his, "As part of the bridal party—you must have one of these too, Reika made great emphasis to give you one because you are Motoki's best man,"

"Is it time for the groom to come out?" Mamoru asked Unazuki as she nervously pinned the white rose boutonniere on his lapel; Unazuki blushed and nodded, "Yes."

Mamoru turned to his friend and wiggled his brows, "Alright—time to take you to that altar,"

"Are you nervous, big brother? Are you feeling emotional?" Unazuki asked with a wide smile on her face; Motoki chuckled and shook his head, "No, not at all—why everybody thinks I am going to cry? You guys need to chill, I have _everything_ under control."

"Because it happens! It's a wedding—people cry at weddings! It's like a law!" Twenty-three-year-old Unazuki started laughing, "I see it happening _all_ the time,"

"Well, you won't see it with me, like I said, I have _everything_ under control—no nerves, no overwhelming or embarrassing emotions, now sweaty hands, just coolness," Motoki tucked the lapels of his jacket with pride and smiled, "Thanks, little sis, I will be there in a minute,"

Unazuki nodded and wrapped her arms around him "I'm so happy for you, big brother! Congratulations!" She pulled back and walked out of the room, leaving both men alone. Mamoru took a deep breath and smiled, "Alright, as your best man is my duty to take you to that chapel on time, so, come on, let's go."

"It's show time," Motoki rubbed his hands with excitement and walked towards the door followed by his best friend.

O—o—O

Back at the chapel, the girls were lucky enough to have found a seat together at the second row, right behind Motoki's parents and waited for the whole ceremony to start. Minako turned to look over her shoulder and smiled when she saw the party planner was starting to form a line with the bridesmaids and Mamoru walking behind Motoki into the chapel, "Looks like it's about to start soon—here comes the groom and his best man,"

Usagi immediately turned to look for her boyfriend and blushed when she saw him wink an eye at her as he walked towards the altar with his best friend and the rest of his 14 groom's men Motoki chose as his court to match Reika's number of bridesmaids. All were mostly friends from med school Mamoru was friends with too.

"Mamoru looks so handsome Usagi-chan, imagine how is it going to be when you two get married," Minako smiled widely at her blushing friend. "Motoki looks very fancy in his suit," Makoto said with a big smile on her face, "I'm so happy for him,"

"You don't feel weird?" Rei turned to look at her amazon friend, Makoto widened her hazel eyes, "Why?"

"Well... you are kind of his ex... and had a crush on him for years," Rei gave Makoto a quizzical look, but Makoto smiled, "We only dated for a short while... he's my friend more than anything else, I am truly happy for him and Reika-san, they are great together," she let out a soft sigh, "I know I haven't had the best of times lately after what happened with Masaru, but I know things will get better—I will find someone, I know he's out there—somewhere."

"Yes, Mako-chan, yes there is." The priestess patted her friend's hand and gave her a warm, sisterly smile and both turned to the glass doors when the string quartet started playing, initiating with the ceremony. All the guests turned to look at the 15 bridesmaids walking in their red burgundy matching gowns with matching floral bouquets and formed a line on the other side of the chapel, opposite to the groom and his court. Motoki's step-father and mother walked down the aisle first and gave the groom their blessing; next was Reika's mother walking with her brother and followed the same routine and took their seats at the other side of the chapel.

The music changed to a slower, more romantic song as the bride finally made her great entrance through the large glass doors, holding her father's arm with her right arm while holding her cascading lilies bouquet with the other.

Reika looked like a glamorous princess with her silk ballgown with what looked like hundreds of Swarovski crystals all over her tight corset. Her hair was down and styled in soft waves, allowing her crystal tiara gleam like thousands of tiny stars. Everything in her screamed luxury, her cathedral length veil flowed behind her like a silk curtain as she slowly made her way to the altar.

Motoki widened his eyes when he felt like his chest was about to explode with so many emotions he didn't even know he had. His heart fluttered inside his ribcage like a wild bird at the immaculate sight of his future wife standing next to him.

The elderly priest now standing at the altar and invited the guests to take their seats asking only the bride and groom and their court to remain standing. "Good evening," the man looked at the crowded chapel and then at the couple in front of him, "We are gathered here today on this joyful occasion to celebrate the union between this man and this woman in holy matrimony and be witness of this sacral union based on love,"

Motoki bit his lower lip and wanted to curse himself for having been so relaxed about the whole thing. He suddenly felt a rush running through his whole body and realized that he had never felt so vulnerable and exposed in his life. The young and dashing doctor could hear the priest talking in the background but all he cared about was the woman standing next to him, holding his trembling hand.

"And so, we are all here to applaud and support this union with much care and joy." The priest re-arranged his thick glasses and turned to Motoki, then to Reika and smiled softly, "It is now time, to exchange your vows... who has the groom's ring?"

Reika's maid of honor stepped forward and handed the sleek wedding band to Reika and quickly went back to her place with the rest of the bridal court. The bride turned to look at Motoki and smiled softly, "Dearest Motoki, this is a moment I shall always remember with great joy the day I decided to join my life and to start my ever after with the man of my dreams. The time for us to be together is finally here and I couldn't be more excited to live new adventures and experiences with you, my charming knight with the million-dollar smile. I love you, always have and always will."

Minako turned to look at Ami that was tearing and sniffing softly, "Ami-chan are you okay?" she whispered; the bluenette wiped the tear graciously with one gloved finger and nodded, "Y-Yes... it's just... it's so beautiful..." she whispered back.

Usagi turned to look at them and then at the couple professing their love at the altar and couldn't help but wonder how her wedding was going to be like. She knew for certain that it was something both her and Mamoru wanted and have been waiting for a long time to happen. She tried to imagine what her wedding gown would look like, if it had a fluffy skirt or crystals like Reika's gown; she imagined how it would be like to be walking down the aisle and look at her handsome prince waiting for her at the end of the line with that dashing and perfect smile he crafted just for her.

The priest turned to Mamoru and asked him to give the ring he was holding for Motoki to give to Reika and returned to his place. Now, it was the blonde's turn to speak but for some reason, his carefree self was now betraying him and erasing all the words he had thought to say to his beautiful bride. It was taking him much more time to recover than he expected as he mentally screamed at himself for not having written the words on a piece of paper for preventive purposes. Before everyone started to wonder if he was alright, or worse, having second thoughts about the whole idea of getting married. Motoki finally gathered enough courage to break his silence and took a deep breath before saying his vows.

"Reika," he started, "I can't believe... this moment has finally arrived." From this moment on, Motoki felt his body starting to betray him against his will but he still armed himself with the courage to continue. "I dreamt..." he took a pause and sniffed, "I—dreamt... of this..." he cleared his throat and shook his head, "I dreamt of this day... to come... and to be able... to finally... To fin—to finally... share my life... with you... forever..."

Yuiichiro turned to Rei and leaned closer to her, "Is he crying?" he whispered, to what she answered with a single nod. Minako bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, "He looks like he is about to break..." Makoto took a deep breath and agreed with her friend, "Any minute now..."

Motoki looked down and took a deep breath, the poor man was trying so hard to keep his emotions at bay that he started sweating like if he was standing under a 1000-watt bulb, startling not only the bride but the rest of the guests and bridal party. "I... want to give you... all that I have—everything..." He cleared his throat and continued with the torture, "Everything is yours because... you-because you... you are my best friend... and my perfect match. You are... my diamond, Reika."

The priest looked at the groom with wide eyes before he cleared his throat and nodded, "Now—it is time to exchange rings with your everlasting promise," he turned and blessed the rings and stepped back to let the couple share their emotions once again. Reika started and held Motoki's hand, "I, Nishimura Reika take you, Furuhata Motoki as my husband—with this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward I will give you all my love, and you shall not walk alone. I have no greater gift to give as your love is my anchor, and your trust is my strength." the beautiful bride slid the wedding band on his finger and now, it was turn for Motoki to say something, anything he could remember of his vows. "I, F-Fuu-Furuhata M-Moootoki, t-take you, N-Nii... Nii..."

Mamoru frowned with bewilderment and confusion when he heard his always cool and collected friend, the same one that said had _everything_ under control and that won't be making any scenes was now bawling like a child right before everyone's eyes, and while it was indeed something very emotional to witness it was becoming a little too overwhelming to see a grown man unable to articulate more than two words together because of all the sniffing and sobbing. With very much disguised panic, Mamoru turned to the other groom's men and then to the girls who were all looking at him with the same panicked and confused look in their eyes.

"Niii-Niiishimura R-Reika... to be... my... wiiife" this was enough for Motoki to finally surrender to his emotions and completely break in even heavier sobs, "I... take... your hand... " he took a deep breath, "To—take—your—hand..."

Reika widened her eyes and tried to keep the poor groom together by holding his hands and gave a quick glance to her bridesmaids and then at Mamoru, trying to understand what was happening.

Mamoru looked inside his pockets trying to look for anything he could give his friend to clean his tear-stained and now swollen face. This was probably the most uncomfortable moment in his life, more uncomfortable than meeting Usagi's father for the very first time, more uncomfortable than being in a room talking to people who visited the orphanage looking for the next kid to adopt, more uncomfortable than singing in front of his whole school for the annual Christmas recital in third grade, more uncomfortable than meeting girls in his junior years. This moment had surpassed it all by hundreds of miles because even when it was not him the one under the spotlight, he was standing right there without anything to give him in case this happened as he silently cursed himself for believing his careless answer to the question: are you emotional?

When the girls noticed the panic in Mamoru's face they started looking for something they could offer, but not even they could find a decent piece of tissue or paper or cloth in those small clutches they all carried with them—except for one.

Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened like if she had found the holy grail inside her tiny purse and quickly stood up and walked towards her boyfriend to give him the small but much-needed sheet of tissue paper. Mamoru immediately grabbed it and went over to Motoki to hand him the tissue with a suave attitude, like everything was under control. "Here... use this... _please,_ " he mumbled to the groom before taking his place again.

Motoki turned his tear-stained face and red eyes at his friend and mouthed him a very heartfelt thank you and wiped his tears and nose before taking another deep breath, "I take you... Reika... in equal love... as a mirror for my true self, as a partner on my path... to honor and to cherish in sorrow and in joy...till... death... do us... part..." With much care and a trembling hand, Motoki finally managed to put the ring on Reika's hand and turned to the priest who was finally giving them his blessing and smiled, "And now, with the power invested in me... I pronounce you, husband—and wife." He turned to Motoki "You may now kiss your bride..." he leaned closer, "Or... whenever you feel ready,"

Motoki blushed and turned to Reika who had a smile from ear to ear and leaned down to kiss her fully on the lips. This was the moment that finally made everyone forget about the grooms incessive sobbing and inaudible vows and was exchanged by clapping and cheering for the newlywed couple.

O—o—o—o—O

After the couple walked out of the chapel, they went straight to have their photographs taken with their family at the garden while the rest of the guests were asked to go to the main ballroom for the reception. As expected, the reception was even more glamorous than the actual chapel where the ceremony had place. There were giant crystal chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings, candles everywhere, crystal vases with flowers on every corner; two giant 10 tier cake stood tall and proud at a table close to the one the bride and groom shared as a new married couple.

There were a great number of hostesses at the entrance taking the guests to their respective exquisite decorated tables with silk cloths and tall vases stacked with white orchids, peonies, roses, tulips, and lilies, surrounded by many tea light candles.

After Mamoru served his duty as best man and posed gallantly for every official wedding picture as Reika asked him to do, he joined the girls and Yuiichiro at their table; one that was surprisingly close to the newlyweds' table. Minutes later, a waiter immediately offered them a beverage to start their evening with politeness; Makoto looked through the long list of options that was strategically placed on their table and clicked her tongue with surprise, "Well, I will start with a glass of champagne,"

"You'll start?" Minako quirked her brow, Makoto handed her the fancy catalog and nodded, "I will need several glasses of alcohol to process what I just witnessed."

"Yes, what the hell was that?" Rei covered her mouth once she realized she had spoken a little too loud, making everyone laugh; Ami shook her head and took a sip of her chilled white wine, "He got a little too emotional,"

"A little?" Minako took a sip of her rosé and shook her head, "He was bawling his eyes out—I can't imagine what it was like for the best man to see the groom falling apart like that," she turned to Mamoru who was taking a taste of his red wine, "Baffling," he mumbled and sighed a little more relaxed, "I am aware that people get emotional at weddings but this..." he shook his head in disbelief, "This was a whole other level of emotion,"

"Usagi saved the night—once again," Makoto smiled and raised her glass to offer a mini toast, "Cheers!"

Usagi smiled at the waiter with gratitude when he placed her glass of rosé in front of her and chuckled, "I did, I saved the night," she turned to her boyfriend when she felt his fingers intertwining with hers lovingly and blushed, "Right?"

"You most certainly did," Mamoru leaned closer and give her a soft peck on her cheek, "Thank you,"

"So... who's next to be walking down the aisle, huh?" Minako wiggled her brows as she looked at the couple being all romantic across from her on the table. Usagi blinked and turned to Minako with a playful grin, "Well, I don't know... Rei-chan and Yuiichiro, maybe?"

Rei and Yuiichiro blushed crimson red, "W-What?" they both said in unison, "U-Us? Why us?" A nervous Rei turned to Usagi and Mamoru who were wiggling their brows playfully at them while taking a sip of their respective glasses of wine, both enjoying the unexpected turn they gave to the conversation.

"Well, because you have been dating for a long time," Ami said softly. Rei felt Yuiichiro's grip on her hand tighten, not that he minded to talk about the topic but he was a man who embarrassed easily. Despite being very approachable he tended to be very shy and this was a topic that always made him feel vulnerable. The priestess turned to the couple in front of her and gracefully motioned her glass at them, "Wait a minute, _they_ have been dating for a longer time than us!"

"Yes, but... we all know that Papa wants me to marry once I finish college. You on the other side, are in charge of a very popular temple, you could easily get married sooner than us," Usagi winked an eye at her dark-haired friend. "Plus, I think I would go completely nuts if I started planning a wedding in the middle of my mid-terms and final exams."

"Cheers to that, Usa-chan!" Minako raised her glass and mingled in the conversation between Makoto and Ami, who were still joking with Rei and Yuiichiro about their wedding. Mamoru took a sip of his wine and turned his attention to Usagi who was gracefully caressing his hand with her thumb as they held hands, "You look so beautiful—I can't say it enough,"

Usagi smiled with content, "Really?"

"I can't stop looking at you, you take my breath away," Mamoru kissed her hand, "I can never stop looking at you, I don't ever want to stop looking at you," this was enough for Usagi to feel dismantled by the man sitting next to her, if she wasn't seating on a chair she would probably feel her knees go all weak just by staring at her boyfriend's seductive blue eyes, so full of love and passion. "I don't either..." she breathed with tremendous desire.

"Don't," Mamoru flashed her a flirtatious grin and looked around at the immense ballroom full of people, "So, tell me..." he looked around the elegant room and then back at his girlfriend, "Is this what Tsukino Usagi has in mind for her wedding?" he asked with wonder and he had to admit, with slight worry. Usagi blinked and looked at the hundreds of guests seating on their tables having their own private conversations and shook her head, "No," she simply answered as she turned to Mamoru again, "No... it's nothing like this,"

"Really?" Mamoru tilted his head with curiosity, "Yes," the silver-blonde nodded. "While I agree all this is like a dream, it is not my dream—this is not my dream wedding."

Mamoru was taken by surprise with her answer; after having that short conversation with Motoki it made him wonder just what his future bride to be would want for a wedding. While they both waited anxiously for their time to become husband and wife, it was something they really never sat down to talk about—their actual wedding. "Can I ask, what is your dream?"

"To live with you—to be with you... to grow old with you... that's my dream," Usagi smiled softly, making Mamoru blush, "That is my dream too Usako, but, what about your dream wedding?"

"Well..." The silver blonde looked at the crowded room and took a sip of her rosé to clear her throat, "While I like the elegant flair it has... I wouldn't like my wedding to be _this_ big."

"Really?" Mamoru asked with surprise, Usagi nodded, "I mean... this is _crazy_ big... how many guests they invited, do you know?"

"Like..." Mamoru pursed his lips and took a quick glance around the room again, "800 I believe, but—it makes sense, Reika's family is quite big and they have too many friends and acquaintances," he chuckled, "Alright, not even if we wanted to, we couldn't have a wedding with these many guests, but, don't you want the flowers... the 10-tier cake, the music... the glam...?"

"I do want flowers—pink roses and white lilies. I look at us getting married in a beautiful church and celebrating our reception in a garden with lots of greenery and flowers. Have paper lanterns hanging from trees like little stars... candles everywhere..." she smiled softly, "Jazzy music in the background... and a chocolate cake." Mamoru smiled, "How many tiers?"

Usagi made a playful pout, "Two—three, maybe," she tilted her head and smiled, "But, why are you asking me this? Were you planning on giving me a wedding this big and extravagant?"

"If that is what you want—yes," Mamoru took a sip of his wine, "If that would make you happy, absolutely."

"You do know just how expensive this wedding is, right?" Usagi gave him an incredulous look, Mamoru nodded, "Yes, I do."

"No offense Mamo-chan but how could we ever afford something like this? This is crazy fancy and expensive," Usagi chuckled, still very incredulous of her boyfriend's confidence. Mamoru pinched her nose playfully and gave her a soft smile, "Well, if this is the type of wedding you would like to have... I would do anything in my power to give it to you, I don't know... I would take more shifts at the hospital, work extra hours, get another job at a smaller clinic and juggle between the two of them,"

Usagi widened her eyes, "But you already work crazy, endless shifts at the hospital Mamo-chan, no, I would _never_ ask you to do something like that—I barely see you as it is right now,"

"I would figure something out," Mamoru kissed her hand, "No question about it,"

Usagi blushed, "Do you know what I really would prefer instead of spending a crazy amount of money on a wedding like this?" Mamoru tilted his head with interest, "What?"

"A home—instead of having a big wedding like this, I would invest that money in a house with a chimney on the living room and a big backyard." her crystal blue eyes sparkled with excitement, "Ooh ooh! And a walk-in closet in the master bedroom!" Mamoru chuckled and cupped her cheek, "I like that idea,"

"I know, I have the brightest ideas..." Usagi winked an eye at him and turned to the other side of the room where the bride and groom were finally making their great entrance as a new married couple. All guests welcomed the couple with cheers and clapping as they made their way to the dance floor to have their first dance as husband and wife.

The lights were dimmed down to give the moment a little more romantic flair as the music started to play and the couple began dancing while looking into each other's eyes and a big smile on their faces. Usagi smiled and leaned her head on Mamoru's shoulder, "They look so happy, don't they?"

"Yeah,"

"So, are you nervous?"

"For what?"

Usagi looked up at her tall boyfriend, "The speech—it comes right after the couple have their first dance,"

"Oh, yes—well, after what we witnessed at the ceremony, I think I'll be fine."

"You sure? Promise you won't break into tears like Motoki-oniisan?"

Mamoru chuckled, "I'm a robot, remember?"

"Did you at least get a chance to finish working on it?" Usagi arched a brow and looked at Mamoru shaking his head with casualty, "Nope," Usagi widened her eyes, "What?"

"What?"

"You're improvising?"

"Yes,"

"Seriously?"

"Yep,"

Usagi narrowed her eyes a little dubious, "Seriously..."

"Uh-huh," Mamoru gave her a playful grin and took a sip of his rich red wine, startling his girlfriend completely and chuckled, "Buns, I'll be fine..."

"You weren't thinking the same thing yesterday..."

"Well, I changed my mind the minute you walked into the apartment,"

Usagi blushed, "I'm sorry..."

Mamoru cupped her cheek with his hand and smiled, "Don't be, I'm not—it was great to have a whole afternoon just to ourselves. It's been a while since we had more than a couple of hours together," he leaned and kissed her softly on the lips, "I wouldn't change that for anything, not even my speech for my best friend's wedding—what?" He scoffed at Usagi's face of disbelief.

"I thought you were the studious type... last time I checked, you were..." Usagi narrowed her eyes with wonder, "Pulling these types of stunts are _my_ thing," Mamoru pinched her nose softly, "Well, I guess you are becoming a bad influence on me, Usako," he smiled, "But on a more serious note, you are right when you said that what I have written were not the words a best friend would say to his best friend on his wedding day so... taking that into consideration, I came to understand that these things are not meant to be planned,"

Their conversation was quickly interrupted by some guests to quiet down the room and give the maid of honor her moment to give her speech to the bride. Five good minutes after the glamorous bridesmaid managed to keep her ballgown under control and could stand from her seat on the table next to the one with Usagi and company she walked to stand next to the bride and groom and grabbed the mic with a shaky hand, "As maid of honor, I have a duty and that is to give a little piece of advice and, a tiny warning to the groom—Motoki, remember Reika is a Princess and Princesses are defined by their charming personalities, charitable hearts, and beauty both inside and out. Although, she may not seem so charitable or charming when she can't find the latest Louis Vuitton handbag available in red and you have to look the entire stock until you find it, otherwise she won't be happy."

The guests started chuckling at the comment making Reika blush crimson red; the young bridesmaid smiled, "Reika, I am happy you have found your prince and your fairy tale is in motion. You are now ready to ride off into the sunset and live your happily ever after. Reika and Motoki, I wish you many years of love and happiness. May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy, enough failure to keep you humble, enough success to keep you eager, enough friendship to give you comfort, _and_ enough determination to make each day more wonderful than the one before... Congratulations!"

Mamoru turned to Usagi and smiled, "Well, guess that's my cue to go... wish me luck,"

Usagi chuckled, "You just said you had everything under control..."

Mamoru re-arranged his tie and smirked, "Yeah... we'll see," he gave Usagi a quick peck on her cheek and walked over to the married couple like if he, in fact, had everything under control when in reality was coming with the words as he got closer to Motoki and Reika waiting for him to come to view with a big smile on their faces.

He took the mic from the maid of honor's hand and cleared his throat, hoping for the best. He flashed a grin at his friend, "You okay, Motoki?" The question was fuel enough to shake off a little of the stiffening formality and make the guests feel more relaxed and break in laughter, including Usagi and the girls. Motoki laughed and gave his friend a deep nod, "Good," Mamoru smiled and turned to the crowd, "Good evening, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Mamoru, Motoki's best man. I'm sure you will all agree that today has been a brilliant and quite interesting wedding celebration, and we've still got Motoki's dancing to look forward to later, so... you don't want to miss that," the guests chuckled in agreement and Mamoru turned to look at the couple, "It was a bit of a shock when Motoki first asked me to be his best man. I questioned what I had done to deserve such an honor and I wondered about how many people he'd asked prior to being stuck with me? And most importantly, would I still get a free meal if I turned it down? Naturally, I didn't want to take the chance, so, here I am."

The guests were loving the playful touch in Mamoru's words dedicated to his friend, showing the closeness between them and how suitable they were to the blonde's cheerful personality. Usagi smiled proudly, silently admitting with surprise how good her boyfriend was to talk in public and also, how he really seemed to have _everything_ under control.

"But on a more serious note, Motoki, I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to share this special day with me. You've been a fantastic friend to me over the years and I'm sure this will continue in the future—I hope." He smiled and turned to the crowd, "I've been friends with Reika and Motoki long enough to know they couldn't be more different in personality and likings but when I learned they had become a couple, I couldn't see a better match for each other. You belong together, there's no doubt about that and anyone that has spent time with you knows how great you are together. It's very rare to see two best friends getting married and here I am, witnessing it and I couldn't be happier for you two; Reika, Motoki—stay by each other's side, support each other, look out for each other, laugh together, cry together, but most importantly, keep loving each other the way you have been doing it all this time and keep showing all of us how love should always look like," Mamoru raised his glass of wine with a warm smile on his face, "I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, and so, I ask everyone here present to raised their glass in honor of the new married couple, cheers!"

"Cheers!" The crowd cheered in unison and clapped with approval and excitement. Motoki and Reika stood up from their seats and went to give Mamoru a warm hug of gratitude before he returned to his table to join his friends and beloved girlfriend. Usagi welcomed Mamoru with a wide smile on her face; Mamoru took his seat and put his glass on the table and turned to look at her like a child waiting for his teacher to give him a score for his test, "So, how did I do?"

"Did you really improvise? I'm starting to doubt it..." Usagi leaned closer to him with a quizzical look on her face, Mamoru chuckled, "I did—minus the last part, I stole that from a holiday card, but I meant it."

Usagi chuckled, "I noticed—you did great, it was a beautiful speech."

O—o—O

The night continued smoothly, after the toasts and dinner it was time to inaugurate the dance floor; the girls including Rei and Yuiichro had gone dancing with the happy bride and groom dancing at the center, proving Mamoru's point that Motoki's dance moves were something unique and hard to miss.

It was Usagi and Mamoru's turn to join the rest and stayed to dance a slower melody as they looked into each other's eyes; Mamoru looked at her and leaned his forehead on Usagi's and took a deep breath, "Is there a way you could stay with me tonight?" Usagi blushed and flashed him a sensual grin, "I can figure something out—Minako-chan is always glad to be my alibi,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Bless her..."

"Totally,"

Usagi wrapped her arms around his neck tighter and looked into his eyes, "I do have one condition, though," Mamoru blinked, genuinely surprised, "Oh? And what's that?"

"That I can get to wear your grey hoodie the whole time I'm there," Usagi chuckled, immediately infecting Mamoru with her sweet laughter, "You got yourself a deal," he leaned down and sealed the contract with a deep, loving kiss.

* * *

 _AN: Hi readers, just to clarify things: this collection of chapters are "little" one-shots that were originally planned to be in the main story (Divinity III) but later ended up in a separate bin because they're more of normal chapters. If you do not follow the main story, it's okay, you'll be able to read them and understand them. If you are, you will know these are linked to the story in a subtle way._

 _This particular chapter happens a year before the New Year's Eve chapter: Perfect timing, terrible lighting. Thanks for the support and good vibes. Until next time._


	4. Shades of Blue - Midnight

Divinity: A day in the life

 _Shades of Blue – Extra Chapter_

* * *

\- PART ONE: MIDNIGHT BLUE -

-O-

A man stepped out of an elegant silver car in a hurry and ran inside the hospital. His ashy-brown hair fell over his eyes as he desperately tried to gather information from the nurses about their most recent admitted patient. After several calls and an extensive questionnaire to prove that in fact, he knew the patient, the man was finally granted access to enter the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Toranomon Hospital, more famously known as Tokyo Hospital.

He had been out of the country for several days to meet with important investors for the financial company he was partners with when he received a sudden call from one of the staff members of the hospital telling him that there had been an accident and that his name was registered in the list of people in case of an emergency due to his legal relationship with the patients. He didn't need to be told twice when was already out taking the earliest flight back to Tokyo to take care of the situation.

The man walked with urgency to the nurse's station as soon as he stepped out of the elevator and quickly showed the personnel his id and visitor card to one of the nurses when a doctor with greyish hair, thick square glasses, and a darker mustache walked over to him, "You must be the person in the emergency contact sheet—I am Doctor Tanaka Matsu, I am one of the specialists taking care of this case,"

"Yes, Shimuta Ikio," the man extended his hand out to the doctor, "I took a plane back to Tokyo as soon as I got the call—w-what happened?" the distress in the man's voice and face made the doctor hesitate a minute before giving the suited man the details of the incident, "Car accident. The authorities are still studying the case and looking for possible reasons so they can give a full report of what happened. There are still no clues as to why the driver lost control of the wheel, causing the vehicle to fall off a cliff." He sighed softly and shook his head, "Unfortunately, the couple did not survive the impact and they died on the scene. It is a miracle, that their son, Mamoru, survived... but..."

Ikio felt like his blood ran cold in his veins, "But?"

The doctor turned to one of the nurses at the station and grabbed a chart as he re-arranged his glasses to read his notes, "He has many injuries and a severe trauma in his head—he is in an induced coma to give his brain enough rest to reduce the swelling and reduce the chances of a brain stroke. We ran several tests, but the next 72 hours are crucial for his survival—the damage he has suffered is serious and we will need to keep him in observation for several days after he wakes up."

"Meaning?"

"He has little chances of waking up,"

Ikio sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with preoccupation, "I see..."

"How well do you know the family, Shimuta-san?"

"I am— _was_ , close friends with the child's parents—his father and I had worked together for years and I am also his legal representative." Ikio looked at the doctor who nodded in response, "I see, would you mind coming with me and answer some questions about the family? It is part of the hospital's protocol and we need to add this information to the boy's medical file,"

Ikio nodded, "Certainly,"

O—o—O

A couple of hours later, Ikio was finally taken to the children's aisle in Intensive Care and stood behind the glass window and looked at the young boy wearing an oxygen mask and several wires taped on his body. It broke his heart to know how things have happened to him and how his life was going to change once he opened his eyes—if he ever did.

After having a private conversation with the older doctor, he was taken to identify the bodies of both of his friends and took care of all the arrangements and paperwork necessary for their proper funeral and cremation as it was stated in his friend's will. He couldn't believe this was happening, he couldn't believe they were gone—Natsuo*, his best friend and Harumi**, his beloved and charming wife.

He had known the man for years, way before Chiba Natsuo met and married Okada Harumi. They met one day when Natsuo had closed an important investment deal with one of Ikio's clients. At first, he had to admit that he was not expecting to see the man Natsuo grew up to be and he was very impressed by his straightforward character and keen abilities to close such exclusive deals on his own. He had a charm impossible to ignore, tall, dark-haired, handsome and with deep brown eyes. He had a wonderful way with words—he was the studious kind. A handsome nerd, as Ikio would often say to tease him. Chiba Natsuo came from a family that had harvested wealth and success with their financial firm over the years and at the young age of twenty-nine years old, he had taken the reins of the family business once his father retired due to health issues and passed away a year later. The Chiba family was known to be practical but also high-maintenance and it showed in Natsuo's fine and expensive education.

Harumi, his wife, was a breath of fresh air; a lovely lady with humble origins. She didn't come from a wealthy family like Natsuo but she was studious and smart—very smart. She had studied a degree in Languages and she was a polyglot with an impeccable presence and fluency. She was a curious woman with a passion for history, knitting and traveling; she was independent and was a professor of linguistics at the University of Tokyo. Ikio remembered with nostalgia the moment the couple met; it was in a small but upscale cafe, close to the financial district where both Natsuo and Ikio worked in Tokyo. Natsuo was waiting to meet with a new client with Ikio when he spotted Harumi drinking coffee elegantly from a crisp white cup; she was making some time for her next class looking polished and graceful with her light gray trousers and a white chiffon blouse under a light grey tweed coat. Natsuo had set his eyes on her the minute they walked into the coffee shop, it was inevitable, really, she was very beautiful and she was there, alone, reading a book about mythology and semiotics.

Her soft brown hair was styled in a pixie cut, loosely styled to one side, allowing some loose locks of silky hair fall over her sparkling green eyes. They were both coffee lovers, so it came as no surprise they both met while waiting in line for their second cup of freshly brewed coffee. By the time it was Harumi's time to order and pay, she had realized that she had left her wallet in her coat, giving Natsuo the perfect excuse to swoop in and be the gentleman he was known to be and pay for her hot beverage. Harumi had a million-dollar smile, that Ikio remembered perfectly because that's what made his friend fall over heels for her, right there and then and convinced him that there was no other woman more perfect for him, than her.

A year later, Chiba Natsuo married his precious Harumi in a very intimate ceremony and a year after that, on a very sunny day, they welcomed their child—Mamoru. Ikio had been a witness of the love they had for one another and the dedication, the many teachings and love they gave to their son but, now, six years later, they were gone and their loving child was left alone, fighting for his own life in a room full of strangers.

"He is not feeling any pain,"

A man's voice pulled Ikio out of his train of thought and turned to see a young doctor, probably in his late twenties with brown tousled hair, standing next to him and staring at the young boy inside the room, connected to several machines and drips that are administrating his medication and fluids to keep him hydrated. "He is unconscious, he can't feel any pain." The young doctor turned to Ikio and gave him a curious look, "Do you know him?"

"Yes,"

"Are you a relative?"

"Something like that..."

"It is a miracle he survived that impact,"

"Yes,"

"Sometimes god pardons the rich," The doctor narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the boy inside the room, "Must have unfinished business to do in the future..." His choice of words made Ikio turn to look at him puzzled, "What?"

"To have survived an accident like that," the doctor turned to Ikio, "It means the boy has still things to do in—" a young nurse walked to them and showed the young doctor a chart and turned to Ikio "I'm sorry, I need to take care of this—please, excuse me,"

Ikio watched the doctor walk away with the nurse and turned his attention back at the boy inside the white room, "This isn't how a boy must spend his birthday..." he sighed heavily and closed his eyes, fighting the tears in his eyes, "Natsuo... what the hell happened?"

O—o—O

"As you can see in this area here, the damage is quite serious." The doctor sighed and turned to Ikio with a worried look on his face, "We have entered the stage when it is time to start thinking about other options, Shimuta-san," Tanaka Matsu pushed his glasses back for the tenth time since he started explaining the child's current situation, "It's been almost two weeks since the patient has been brought here and he is still unresponsive. There are no signs that he can wake up on his own."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Shimuta Ikio frowned and looked at the older man with both shock and confusion. The doctor shook his head, "The boy has stopped responding to the medication and he has been on life support for the past week, the patient has no evidence of cortical brain activity or brain stem activity... he has entered into a vegetative state and it is only a matter of time before we declare brain death on the child."

Ikio felt his blood rush through his veins with panic as he looked intensely at the scans the doctor was showing and explaining to him and shook his head, "No... no, no... this can't be,"

"At first, we were hopeful that he would wake up, he didn't have any other internal injuries—he was responsive up to some point but now, there are no signals... he is not here, Shimuta-san." he sighed softly, "Turning off the life support won't cause any pain to the child, he won't feel anything. As his father's legal representative and the only person close to being a relative to the boy... the decision relies on you now,"

"If it is because of how much it costs to keep him here, the money is not a problem," Ikio muttered as he looked at Mamoru deeply asleep on the bed. "I will pay for as many treatments are required for as long as it is necessary,"

He turned to the other doctors that have been assisting him these past days and immediately recognized the young man that had spoken to him when Mamoru was brought to the hospital, "Dr. Osuna has been taking the night shifts to keep a close eye on the patient, he is one of the specialists working with me on this case along with Dr. Matsui and Dr. Ueda," Tanaka Matsu looked at Ikio and tightened his lips for a minute, "It is not a matter of money, Shimuta-san, we wish there was more we could do but at this point, the boy is not responding. Things became critical the moment his heart rate started to go down, it won't be long until his body starts failing on him and finally give up." He walked closer to the man and patted his shoulder to show some empathy, "We are doing everything we can, but we have come to that time where other things must be taken into consideration and put other options on the table,"

Ikio hung his head low and took a deep breath, "I... I understand..."

"We understand this is not an easy decision to make, so please, take as much time as you need,"

"Thank you, Dr. Tanaka—thank you all." Ikio turned to Dr. Osuna and the other two that were standing in the back and watched them leave in silence before turning to look at Mamoru sleeping on the bed. Many things were going through his mind, none of them were cohesive, none of them made sense and it worried him just how worse things could get for the young boy if he didn't wake up soon. He was about to sit on a chair next to the boy to spend a few more minutes with him before leaving when a nurse walked in, "Excuse me, Shimuta-san, Dr. Tanaka has asked me to come and tell you there are some papers for you to read and sign..." Ikio nodded and turned to Mamoru one last time with fear before walking out the door.

-O-

 _There was a soft melodic sound of chimes echoing in the distance, like little bells chanting the sweetest lullaby. A cool, moist breeze hung in the air like a soft curtain caressing the flushed cheeks of a young boy stranded in a hazy limbo. Mamoru slowly opened his blue eyes when he heard a soft singsong voice echoing in the distance that made him turn his head quickly to meet its owner but found nobody close._

 _Mamoru frowned and slowly pushed himself off the ground and rubbed his face with confusion; he started walking without a sense of direction, he just kept walking straight forward hoping to find an exit. He wanted to speak but no voice came out, it was like he was a ghost in his own dream. There was foggy mist all around him which made it difficult to see where he was. Confused and scared, the young boy turned to his side when he heard the same singsong voice again, and frowned, "Hello?" he turned to follow the sound and found himself standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by white marble ruins and little white flowers._

 _"The legendary Silver Crystal..."_

 _Mamoru started to feel a strange and sudden wave of desolation; he wanted to run away but his body didn't obey his command, it was almost as if the place wanted him to stay. Without realizing it, tears started to stream down his deep blue eyes when he saw the silhouette of a woman in a flowy white gown standing in a high balcony and he immediately thought she was an angel calling for him. Her face was hidden underneath her shiny long platinum hair that flowed with the wind like ribbons of silk._

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"The legendary Silver Crystal..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"The crystal..."_

 _"...Find me..."_

 _Mamoru looked down at his hands when he felt a warm energy surrounding him and a strong tug in his chest that pulled him back before he could say a word to the mysterious lady and in a flash, everything went black._

 _"...Find me..."_

-O-

The next morning, a nurse walked into the room to check on the boy's vitals and started writing down on the chart; everyone was already informed of the situation and what events expect in the next couple of days, so very much of the things they did were part of a common routine they had with all patients. She turned to see the monitor to check the numbers on his blood pressure and heart rate and leaned closer to check on his catheters when she saw Mamoru's blue eyes snap open, taking her completely by surprise. "Oh my god," she breathed with shock and quickly pressed the button to call the doctor on call and send a page to Dr. Tanaka. In a matter of seconds, Dr. Osuna Yoshio walked into the room to see the boy and confirm the nurse's claim and widened his eyes when he saw the boy, looking at the ceiling rather confused. Osuna looked at the chart in his hands to check some information and then walked closer to the boy, "Mamoru-kun?"

Mamoru didn't move or reacted to the name, he just stared at the ceiling like he was trying to understand what was happening. "Can you hear me?" Osuna flashed a light in his eyes making it enough for the boy to break contact with the ceiling and look at the doctor standing next to him and nodded. The young doctor put his stethoscope around his neck and went to check on the boy's vitals and took a deep breath; he turned to the nurse, "Call Shimuta-san, please,"

"Yes, Doctor, right away."

Osuna looked down at the boy and exhaled, "This is unexpected, if I believed in divinity, I would even dare to say it's a miracle." The young doctor drew back and looked at the boy staring intensely back at him, "Unfinished business... without a doubt..."

O—o—O

Ikio had woken up earlier than usual that morning. Not that he was had been sleeping well ever since he informed of the accident; he was on the verge of losing his mind with every passing minute he knew he was closer to the idea of unplugging Mamoru from his life support. With Chiba Natsuo gone, many things had to be put on hold at the firm, and now more than ever, since Ikio finally got hold of some of the legal documents concerning his friend's assets and will, things were only going to get more complicated than they already were. The man sat at the dining table and took a sip of his coffee while giving another glance at the papers he was given at the hospital.

His wife, Akane, turned to look out the window and sighed softly, "It has been raining non-stop since very early this morning... it's like if the sky knew... what was going to happen..." The classy woman turned to look at their six-year-old daughter trying to feed her doll pieces of fruit, "Chieko, dear, please stop playing with your food and eat your breakfast..."

"I can't believe this is happening..." Ikio sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "I can't either..." Akane looked at her husband with worry, "Is that the final decision?"

"There is nothing much I can do, Akane," Ikio looked down and took another sip of his black coffee, "My hands are tied at this point..."

Chieko looked at her mother and widened her green eyes when she heard the rain had started to fall faster and heavier, "This is boring... when can Mamoru come and play?"

Akane and Ikio peered at each other nervously and sighed, "He can't come to play right now, dear..."

Chieko looked at her fruit plate and then out the window, "Why?"

"He is sick, dear," the mother gave her daughter a sad smile but the girl was not taking that for an answer, "What is wrong with him?"

Akane let out another sigh and reached for her daughter's chubby hand, "He—" the telephone rang, taking both Akane and Ikio by surprise. The woman jolted from her seat and went to answer the phone quickly only to return seconds after with a shocked look on her face, "Ikio..." the hurried tone in her voice startled the man and turned quickly, "It's from the hospital..."

O—o—O

As soon as Ikio talked to the doctors over the phone, he grabbed the keys of his car and fled the penthouse where he lived with his family and drove straight to the hospital with urgency. Just like his wife had said, it was as if the sky knew what was happening, it looked like it was falling to pieces with all the rain pouring like a waterfall on his windshield. The minute he walked into the fancy lobby he saw Dr. Tanaka waiting for him by the nurse's station, "Shimuta-san, thank you for coming so quickly," the older doctor greeted him first and shook his hand quickly.

"Dr. Tanaka—what happened?"

"We didn't want to tell you this over the phone because it is a delicate matter and it deserves to be treated as such, which is why we called and asked you to come as soon as possible,"

"W-What is it?"

"The boy—he is awake."

"What?" Ikio widened his eyes in shock, "When?!"

"This very morning—just a couple of hours ago," Dr. Tanaka motioned Ikio to walk with him and Dr. Osuna to the elevator that would take them to the Intensive Care Unit and pressed the button. "One of the nurses walked in to check his vitals when she saw him opening his eyes," he turned to the man before the doors opened for them, "But I am asking you to be patient..."

"Why?" Ikio frowned, "Why? What happened?" The soft bell of the elevator interrupted them and walked out. Dr. Tanaka turned to Ikio before going inside the room, "He is having a hard time understanding what happened to him—he has no recollection of anything and he has had severe panic attacks because of it. We ran more tests to see how his brain has been developing after waking up from the coma and yet he has not spoken a single word but he is slowly regaining movement in his arms and legs. There are no signs of dystrophy caused by the accident, indeed, it is a miracle that the boy is alive."

"Can I see him?" Ikio felt his heart pounding in his throat when he saw the doctor nod and walked behind him into the room where Mamoru was sitting in a wheelchair looking out the window. The rain was so heavy and so intense, it blurred completely the image of the city outside.

One of the nurses took Ikio's wet coat and umbrella from his hands as he walked closer to the boy and crouched in front of him to meet him eye to eye, "Hey kiddo," he called him softly, wishing he would be recognized but just seeing Mamoru with a lost stare, proved the doctor's words: he was having a hard time to process what happened to him. It took him five minutes to react to the man's presence and finally turn to look at him with the most intense gaze Ikio has ever seen. Mamoru frowned, the same way one would when a stranger tried to invade your personal space, giving Ikio the hint of what was happening "How are you feeling?" he tried to move closer but the boy immediately jerked his head back and widened his magnetic blue eyes with fright, "It's okay... I am not going to hurt you... I am your friend..."

Mamoru didn't change his expression and he didn't relax either, to him, Ikio was another stranger, another missing piece of this new puzzle his life had turned out to be. "You really don't know who I am?" Ikio asked softly and watched Mamoru shook his head slowly, completely confused—lost, and it broke his heart, "My name is Shimuta Ikio," he tilted his head, "I've known you for a long time... we are friends, we play chess together... and you are also friends with my daughter, Chieko."

The mention of a friend, somehow softened Mamoru's defensive stance and leaned closer to Ikio, "W-Where am I?" The doctor and nurses widened their eyes with surprise when they finally heard the boy speak naturally since they had warned Ikio they feared he developed a speech problem or slight mental retardation due to the strong impact in his head. Ikio felt relieved to hear the boy's warm voice again and pulled a chair to sit in front of him and looked into his eyes, "You are in the hospital, you had an accident and you were taken here so the doctors could take care of you and make you feel better,"

Mamoru turned to look at Dr. Osuna and Dr. Tanaka and then back at Ikio, who was leaning closer to him, "Can you tell me... what is the last thing you can remember?" The boy tilted his head low and closed his eyes, "I-I... don't... know..."

Dr. Tanaka walked closer to the boy and mimicked Ikio's friendly approach and bent his knees to be at Mamoru's eye height, "Can you tell us your age?"

"No..."

"Can you tell us your name?"

"No..."

"We are not here to hurt you, we are here to he—"

"I don't know my name!" The boy looked up at the doctor with teary eyes and frowned, clearly frustrated, "I don't know anything!" he leaned back in his chair brusquely and broke into tears, "Stop asking me things I don't know!" the boy started to shake without control, "Boy, you need to calm down,"

"No!"

The doctor tried to hold the boy's arm but he kicked him away and turned to the nurses who were already preparing a syringe with a sedative "No!" Tanaka turned to Ikio and frowned, "Step back,"

"W-What?"

"He's having another severe panic attack—you need to step back and let us handle the situation,"

Ikio watched Mamoru choking with his tears and having difficulty to breathe as he looked at the nurse walking closer with the needle ready to put in his arm, "No! No! Nooo!"

He heard the boy's hoarse and desperate screams and covered his mouth, trying his best not to break in front of the boy and medical staff. This was one of the most heartbreaking scenes he has seen in his life and he felt impotent for not being able to do something to diminish the boy's pain. It didn't take long for the sedative to take effect and leave Mamoru looking completely suspended between two worlds, the one made by his hazy thoughts and reality.

O—o—O

It had been a couple of hours since the stressful episode and he was now slowly regaining more consciousness. After giving him the sedative, the medical staff tied both wrists and ankles to the bed so he wouldn't hurt himself or anyone else in case another episode broke out of the blue. Ikio stood by the door the whole time and when he noticed Mamoru regaining some movement he walked into the room and stood by the bed in silence. The boy looked back at him with that same painful expression in his blue eyes but he could tell he was tired from the lack of sleep he had been having due the stress of not knowing anything and for being target for blood samples and tests—he was tired and anxious about the needles and the uncertainty of not having a single clue of who he was.

Ikio pulled a chair close to the bed and sighed softly as he sat down, "Chiba Mamoru." He turned to look out the window; the sound of water was the only thing keeping them company aside from the beeping noises from the machines still connected to Mamoru's fragile body, "That is your name. You are six years old, born on August 3rd—a very sunny day." He took a deep breath and exhaled, "You are here because you were in a car accident while vacationing with your parents—Natsuo and Harumi, for your birthday..." this time Ikio turned to look at Mamoru who had tears streaming down his face.

"M-My parents..." Mamoru mumbled, "W-Where... are—"

Ikio shook his head softly, "They're gone, Mamoru," he took a moment before continuing, "You are the only survivor..."

Mamoru's heart froze with Ikio's words and stayed still and quiet after that, it was like if a heavy cloak was taken off him and had left him exposed and vulnerable. He couldn't look up but he didn't want to close his eyes either; he was stunned. Ikio continued speaking but Mamoru could not focus his attention on his words, all he heard were muffled sounds and different tones; he felt pain but he couldn't tell exactly were, all his body was numb and cold, he felt anger, but he couldn't manifest it because he was still heavily sedated; this was a nightmare and he could not come out of it, because he was already awake.

Ikio looked at Mamoru and sighed softly, he knew that no matter how much he tried, this was too much for a six-year-old to handle on his own. "You need to have some rest, Mamoru," he gave the boy a faint smile, thinking that maybe if he repeated his name as much as possible he would be able to remember something but his mind was elsewhere. His gaze was fixed at a distant point in the room and his lips were slightly parted, he had lost his will to live and yet, there he was, alone.

O—o—o—o—O

The next day, Ikio arrived at the hospital and found out that Mamoru had been taken out of the Intensive Care Unit and was taken to a regular room while the doctors continued performing routine tests to exercise his brain and calculate his level of damage. He was about to enter the room when he was stopped by a woman with short brown hair and a burgundy suit holding a dark-brown leather briefcase with her left hand, "Excuse me, Shimuta Ikio?"

"Yes," Ikio nodded; the woman bowed her head and extended her hand out to him "Hi, my name is Ito Hanae from Child Protective Services,"

Ikio stayed stunned and looked at the woman as she handed him a card with her name and contact number, "I would like to ask you some questions about the boy—I spoke with the doctors who are in charge of his medical care, they informed you were related to the boy and his parents. The police gathered some information but there are still things left a little inconclusive and I was hoping you answer some questions and help me fill in those gaps and add them to this minor's file,"

Ikio nodded and followed the woman to a vacant office the hospital had for social workers to handle these situations. She kindly offered one of the chairs in front of the wooden desk where she put her briefcase and took out her laptop and a folder with several sheet forms and sat behind the desk in silence.

"What kind of questions?" Ikio frowned once he took the seat and looked at the social worker who was typing a password on her computer, "About the child, of course—it is part of the legal protocol, I need to fill out several forms with the child's information before his admission."

"Admission?" Ikio's brows furrowed deeply, the young woman nodded, "Yes,"

"Admission where, exactly?"

The young social worker turned to Ikio and arched a brow, "I have been informed by the staff members of this hospital that the child lost his parents in the accident. I took the liberty to look for the child's records, and read he has no other blood relatives that could take him in—by law, he becomes a ward of the country and he must be transferred to an orphanage,"

"What?!" Ikio widened his eyes in shock, "An orphanage?!"

The woman didn't seem to care or listen to Ikio's sudden reaction and looked for one of the forms filled by the staff at the hospital, "Chiba Mamoru, is his name correct?"

"Y-Yes," Ikio nodded his head; the woman started typing quickly on her computer and continued, "He is 6 years old, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Born..." she gave another quick glimpse at the papers, "August 3rd."

"Yes..."

"Only child?"

"Yes,"

"Son of Chiba Natsuo and Harumi, correct?"

"Yes,"

The woman typed something else on her computer and turned to Ikio, "What was your relationship with the child's parents?"

"Our families were close, my wife and I were friends with them—Natsuo and I worked together very often," The woman nodded, "I see, could you tell me what the child's parents did for a living? Just to corroborate the information,"

Ikio sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Natsuo is— _was—_ a financial advisor and investor. He was a solid partner of the Tri Financial Group; Harumi was a History and Semiotics professor at Tokyo University."

"The Tri Financial Group is a solid company—worldwide," the social worker said with astonishment, Ikio nodded "Yes,"

"And you said he was one of the partners?"

"Yes—the Chiba family invested in the company since the very beginning along with other two strong investors, one from America and the other from Europe that also represents the Middle-East, together, they form what it is called in the business world, the perfect trifecta. Natsuo took over his father's place when he passed away eight years ago."

"And you say you worked together?"

"I work as a senior partner in Zenith-Yokohama & Shimuta. A legal firm that specializes in financial audits and management—we are subcontracted regularly by the company when investments or deals with other companies are to be made to keep the stock market in steady numbers."

"Another strong point in the financial world," the social worker said softly as she continued tying, "You move around very interesting circles, Shimuta-san,"

"Why is this important?" Ikio frowned; the social worker stopped typing and looked at the man across from her, "You are a lawyer, Shimuta-san, a very successful one, but, you are not responsible for the care of this child. You are not related to him and you were not assigned to be his tutor or representative."

"I have looked out for the family's assets and businesses for years—I am their legal advisor and I am also their friend."

"Shimuta-san, Chiba Mamoru is six years old. He can't take care of the responsibility that is to manage what rightfully belongs to him; he can't hire you for your services. The problem here is that Chiba Natsuo's will does not specify who would become his legal parent in case this happened. Yes, all of his possessions automatically go to Mamoru-kun, being an only child, he is the sole beneficiary of Natsuo and Harumi's assets, but, he does not have the legal age to accept such inheritance and unfortunately, you are not assigned to be his legal tutor. I understand your concern and frustration, being a family friend for years the most natural thing for you to do is to step in and help in any way that you can but the law is the law and you as a lawyer must understand how this works." the social worker sighed softly and leaned forward, "Shimuta-san, this is a delicate matter and as much as you want to give that child a home, in Japan, adoptions do not work that way. If you are not related by blood or assigned in the family's will as his legal tutor, there is not much to be done. I'm sorry."

"I will take care of whatever it is to be done to keep his inheritance safe until he can make use of it." Ikio frowned, "That money and assets will not fall into anyone else's hands. The news of Natsuo's passing is running fast and people in the financial world know his worth, but, the child comes first."

"Very well,"

"What happens now?"

"You are allowed to be involved in his life as his parent's friend, but the child has to be assigned to an orphanage until he is old enough to rejoin society and live on his own. That is when you, as his family's legal advisor, come in."

"The boy just lost his family—his memories... I can't... I can't abandon him like this..." Ikio was genuinely crushed and desperate, "He is my best friend's son... and I am letting him be taken away,"

The social worker looked at him and sighed softly, "Believe me, I understand, I deal with cases like these all the time—even worse. I have seen children being taken away from their own parents or parents willingly leaving their children to the care of the government."

Shimuta Ikio looked at the social worker in silence for a minute and felt like he was letting his good friend down but the woman was right, if it wasn't written down in a paper that proved it, there was nothing to be done. The next best thing for him to do would be to see if there is a way to keep him in the area. "Where would he be going?"

"He will remain here, in Tokyo—Suginami-ku, to be exact. For what I've read here before all this happened, the child lived with his parents in Shinjuku. Suginami is the closest we can locate him from his previous home, call this a special consideration on your behalf from us, Shimuta-san." The social worker looked at Ikio and handed him a pamphlet, "All the information about the place is there, location, contact numbers, visiting hours, etc."

"And..." Ikio looked at the color pamphlet, "When will he be taken there?"

"As soon as the hospital releases a statement that he is ready to leave," the social worker started typing again, "I read the reports, the child has a severe trauma—he will be assigned a therapist and he will be attending weekly meetings. All children are regularly checked by physicians at the facility, he will attend a public school in the same district but you can be involved in his education if he ever decides to go to another school in the future."

Ikio took a deep breath and nodded silently, thinking how Natsuo could have left such an important thing incomplete. He remembered talking with him about it and he clearly remembered his friend telling him that he trusted him to leave his wife and child under his supervision in case anything happened to him, but, the question would have to remain in the air as to why things had to go this way. In the end, life is always something taken for granted, it's something you never think it can happen to you, but one day everything can end in a matter of seconds and sadly, now, an innocent child must pay for those mistakes.

O—o—O

Surprisingly for everyone involved in his case, Mamoru's demeanor was awfully quiet and calm and while it was clear that he was stunned and confused, he couldn't show any other emotion and that is how he stayed until his release from the hospital once the medical staff made sure everything was okay for him to leave with a few more follow up consultations and therapy sessions to help him cope with his loss and change of life, just like the social worker told Shimuta Ikio. A week after, Mamoru was transferred to an orphanage in Suginami, in the Shinjuku District of Tokyo without any link to his short past and without any weight or recognition with his family name.

As he stepped out of the social worker's car, the boy looked up at the large white building and at the heavy smithy gates securing the whole place. The social worker looked down at the boy who was staring blankly at the front doors and patted his shoulder, "Everything is going to be alright, Mamoru-kun—they will take care of you from this day forward."

After crossing the first gates, they entered a large court surrounded with a few pots with plants and flowers, a basketball hoop nailed to one of the trees and wooden benches; Mamoru saw many children in the distance playing ball or running around, others reading and others just staring at the others do their thing. It looked lively, but the truth lingered in the air, all of those children were homeless and parentless just like him.

The social worker called for one of the staff members as they walked into the main office and waved her hand in salute, "Ohayo, Nakamura-san,"

"Ohayo, Ita-san," a chubby lady with curly red hair walked closer to both woman and child and her eyes immediately landed on Mamoru, "Oh? Is this the new admission?"

Hanae, the social worker nodded and sighed softly, "He was just released from the hospital—there are some specifications I need to add to his file and recommendations from the doctors—also, I need to register the person who might be coming to visit him regularly."

The red-haired lady nodded and leaned down to meet Mamoru eye to eye and widened her eyes with surprise when she saw his deep midnight blue eyes, "Oh my, look at you... you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!" Her friendly approach and sweet tone of voice was something Mamoru appreciated but really didn't need from anyone because at this point he already knew what everybody was doing. He felt like a puppy on display and the comment about his looks or his eyes was getting old. "You are one handsome young man, my name is Izumi, what's yours?"

Mamoru looked at her without a hint of emotion, "I don't know—they say it's Mamoru."

"They?" Izumi blinked a little taken aback by the boy's blunt response and turned to Hanae, "Who's they?"

Hanae made a gesture to stop socializing with the boy and handed her a copy of his file, "He was in an accident—he doesn't remember anything. His name is Chiba Mamoru, he's six years old—type blood, A."

"A quiet one," Izumi sighed softly as she looked into the file's contents; Hanae nodded, "A quiet one."

"Any relatives?"

"No. Just a family friend,"

Izumi nodded in understanding and called for another staff member to help him with the boy, "Alright, Mamoru-kun—you will be taken to what will be your dorm room. I will see you at dinner time,"

Mamoru looked at the woman and noticed there was a man already waiting for him but the door and quickly imagined he was another person from the orphanage's staff. As they walked out of the main office, the man known as Somuta Chiko, walked with Mamoru who opted to carry his small bag with clothes Ikio packed for him before his departure from the hospital but since there was a limit for belongings to avoid any fights with other children, he only packed the essentials for the boy.

Taking in a new child was always a hard task to do because no one really knew their past stories and how they were going to get along with the rest. Those who had been living there for years had learned to know the routine of a new addition and the struggle of getting used to the routine of the institution.

After walking down an empty long corridor in silence, they finally reached for the dorm where Mamoru was going to stay and put his small bag on top of what would be his new bed, that fortunately for him was by a window. Much to the boy's surprise, the room was crowded with beds, 40 at least, with little space between them and for what he had seen on his way to this room, there were other 5 dorms with the same amount of beds. That was a lot of people. A lot of lonely people and solitude was enough to break a child's spirit.

The orphanage didn't look luxurious, but it didn't look like a prison either. Each dorm had enough windows that welcomed the sunlight and warm up its white walls. It had wide gardens, some lacked maintenance but in the end, they had space for recreations. They all had activities during the day and they could go to the library to read when they had free time after doing their chores.

"This is a small place, compared to others... trust me, I know," Chiko sighed. The young man was fifteen years old, he had long chocolate-colored hair that reached his shoulders and kept it tied in a low ponytail and just like Mamoru, he too was an orphan. His mother passed away when he was born and he never met his father; he had been admitted in several orphanages in his early years and was later taken to this one where he spent the last three years of his life being a brotherly figure to younger kids. Chiko was the person everyone turned to for bedtime stories or advice, the one that scolded those who weren't acting nice around others and even turn them in to the authorities around the orphanage if someone did not follow the rules and behaved but he also was young at heart and he believed in many stories only a child would believe and maybe that innocent spark what made children feel at ease when they were around him, they felt identified.

Chiko turned to Mamoru who kept looking out the window without any sort of emotion crossing his face, "You will be alright," the older brother said softly "I promise you,"

Mamoru let out a sigh charged with sadness and desolation; he felt trapped despite being in the world on his own. Chiko felt sorry for the kid, he looked broken and confused—angry. He had heard part of his story before the social worker arrived with Mamoru to the orphanage and knew that he was not doing well emotionally due to his amnesia, he was also warned of his quiet and hermetic personality and his sudden panic attacks, knowing from experience that it was going to be hard to be even considered for adoption. "The restrooms and showers are at the end of the hallway—showers are in the morning, six o' clock sharp, breakfast is at seven—lunch at twelve, dinner at four. Lights are turned off at eight."

The sound of wood squeaking was the only thing that answered Chiko when Mamoru sat on the twin-sized bed and nodded, fixing his gaze on his hands; Chiko felt his heart breaking into tiny pieces, it was always hard to see a child come into a place like this, they all had a universal look and it was always a sad one, one full with fright, confusion, and doubt. "My name is Chiko, I live here too—I stay in the opposite ward with the older ones so you can call me if there is anything you need, alright?" he sighed softly, hoping things would lighten up for the young boy, "I will see you around, Mamoru-kun."

Mamoru didn't look up but he heard the man's sneakers squeaking on the shiny white floors until he left the dorm's aisle. He looked up and let the tears pooling in his eyes slowly roll down his flushed cheeks, this was it—he thought, the beginning of his life and he did not know what to expect.

O—o—o—o—O

The first year at the orphanage had been the most challenging for Mamoru. He wasn't given much time to adapt after he was transferred and he had to follow the strict rules of the institution or otherwise would get penalized by staying in their dorm until everyone had dinner first or doing extra chores around the orphanage before and after school.

Everything needed to be organized and impeccably clean, bathrooms, dorms, common areas, the kitchen, library, and classrooms. They had to go to bed at the sound of the eight o' clock bell, and their beds had to be made the minute they heard the bell at five-thirty in the morning. They all had to do chores around the orphanage with the purpose to teach them how to survive in the real world once they got out. They all were taught how to wash clothes, bedsheets and towels, iron, sweep, mop and dust all rooms and floors, thoroughly clean all restrooms and showers, take out the trash, recycle and compost, wash all windows and even the younger ones had to help the older ones in the kitchen with peeling potatoes, carrots, onions— they all had to cooperate.

Every morning the staff at the orphanage would walk in and send them to take a shower; it didn't matter if it was hot or freezing cold outside they all had to hurry and take their daily shower because if they wanted to have breakfast they all had to be clean and dressed by seven. Punctuality was key to survive in that place; if they didn't get on time the hot water would run out and they would end up having freezing cold showers and if they got sick, they would be isolated in another aisle dorm until they were no longer a threat to the other healthy kids. If they didn't get on time, their food would turn cold, if they didn't get on time for dinner, sometimes they would not get the same portion as the rest. Punctuality was key to survive and Mamoru learned it the hard way during his first weeks but the hardest days where when they had visitors from potential adopters.

Social workers would go and take couples to meet the children and Mamoru was one of those children that would always catch a couple's attention but like the forbidden fruit, he was not up for adoption due his mental and emotional state and categorized him as hostile due to his hermetic and cold behavior. Mamoru was an angry child and as Ikio managed to settle with the orphanage, he was set to have therapy for as many years it was necessary until he opened up and be more social and vocal to others. This made Mamoru feel like he was a piece of fruit in a market and he really hated visitation days; he hated being called names or being referred to as gorgeous or handsome. He hated when people pinched his cheeks or tilt his head up so they could look at his deep blue eyes like if he was some sort of amusement to them all. He hated being analyzed like a prize in that crowded space. He felt hate, and that itself was too much of a burden for a seven-year-old.

He hated crowded spaces and he had started to dislike beets and bell peppers with all his might as well.

The children at the orphanage were not violent or aggressive, at least not where Mamoru was taken, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to socialize. He was respectful because it was in his nature to be kind, he had a golden heart, and as much as he didn't want to spend his days isolated from the rest, he had no energy to make friends. The first two weeks, he tried to escape in the middle of the night but every time he got caught by Chiko, who often did his rounds during the night to check on the kids and make sure everything was fine before going to bed. His third attempt was ruined by the lady in the cafeteria who caught him sneaking around the kitchen. The fourth and fifth time, he tried to hide in the laundry baskets but it was then when he learned they did all the laundry in the site so all he got was a big scolding and penalty to scrub the bathroom floors. He tried, tried and tried until his escapades summed up to ten times, earning him the nickname _'Lupin_ ' in honor of the handsome French thief, Arsène Lupin. Life was difficult and confusing for Mamoru and not remembering a single thing made it all worse.

O—o—O

"I heard you tried to escape again last night,"

"…"

"That makes it the tenth time since you arrived here, a year ago,"

"…"

"Mamoru-kun?"

"There is no point of being here,"

"No?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't... belong here..."

"Where do you belong? Where have you been trying to go?"

"I... don't know..."

"I've heard you picked up your studies again,"

"Yes..."

"I was also told that you are very good at speaking other languages? That you used to practice with your mother?"

"I don't know..."

"You don't know?"

"I don't remember... her..."

"How is your practice going?"

"Good,"

"You are good at reading, too, I've noticed." At Mamoru's lack of response, Hatsuko pressed her lips and tried something else to break the child's barrier, "Do you not get along well with the other children? Have you made any friends since our last session?"

"No..." Mamoru's cheeks flushed and looked down, "I don't need friends,"

"You could put your skills to practice with them, maybe even teaching them something,"

"No,"

"No?"

"I don't want to be around anyone."

"Mamoru-kun, do you know what day is today?"

Mamoru looked up at the therapist sitting in front of him with a pad and a fancy pen in her hand. Hatsuko Mirei had been the one in charge of this therapy sessions since he arrived at the orphanage a year ago and for what Mamoru had noticed ever sun he met her, she always had her auburn colored hair tied in a low bun. Her large round glasses framed her sparkly green eyes, always so curious, always paying close attention to every move he made. She was part of the orphanage's staff and one of the people on the board who assisted and worked with the social workers when they went to check on them, "Mamoru-kun?"

"No, and I don't care," Mamoru answered with little interest, "I don't know what day is today—I don't know which day I live in. It could be a Monday or a Friday, a Tuesday or a Thursday to me, it's the same day."

"Why is that?"

"Because, they're all the same," Mamoru frowned, "We do the same things every single day."

"Well, there must be something different you add to your daily routine, days cannot be the same every single time." The therapist said in her usual monotone yet powdery sweet voice as she watched Mamoru rolling a soft squishy ball in his hands, a method she had been using on him to help him deal with stress and help him open up a little more during their sessions. The seven-year-old boy raised a brow and gave her an incredulous look, "You would think that, don't you?"

"What?"

"You would think that it's impossible to do the same thing every day,"

Hatsuko made a note on her pad, which, only triggered Mamoru's annoyance "What is so important for you to write there? I told you! Nothing interesting happens in this place! It's still!"

"Today, is August 3rd, Mamoru-kun."

"And?"

"And... it's your birthday,"

"So?"

"Well, birthdays are fun, don't you think?"

"To whom?"

"What?"

Mamoru shook his head, "...I find them annoying. They're pointless."

"Alright," Hatsuko nodded as she scribbled down something on her pad, "Can you tell me why?"

"To me, all days are the same," Mamoru frowned, "They're the same, birthday or not, they're the same—there is nothing special about them... it's only a sad reminder—" he paused abruptly, then sighed. He started to tap his chubby fingers on his knee, a sign that he was getting uncomfortable and anxious, "Can I go now?"

"No, we still have to finish with our session,"

"I don't want to talk,"

"Why?"

"I just don't want to,"

"Mamoru-kun," Hatsuko sighed softly and leaned her arms on her crossed knee, "In order for me to help you, talking is necessary. You need to open up and let me know what's troubling you,"

"I don't need to talk... and I really don't know what you want me to say..."

"Well, just tell me anything, anything that comes to your mind."

"My mind is a mess..." Mamoru looked down at the ball in his right hand and squeezed it tight, "All I see is a girl, asking me for something... ever since I woke up... she's there..."

Hatsuko found this interesting enough to write down on her pad and frowned with interest. This topic had been a recurrent one ever since she started therapy with the boy, it triggered something in Mamoru's eyes every time he talked about this girl, his whole demeanor would change, almost like if he knew her. "Ah, the girl..." she smiled softly, "You keep seeing her in your dreams?"

"Yes,"

"Can you remember where you know her from?"

"No..." Mamoru shook his head, "I have never seen her before... I _think_..."

"How does this girl look like?" Hatsuko continued writing, "I do not believe you have described her to me before."

Mamoru leaned back in his chair and looked down, "She has very pretty and very long hair—she wears a fluffy white dress..."

"And her face?"

"I can't see her face..."

"I see..." Hatsuko stopped writing and looked at the boy, "Is she someone you like?"

"I—" Mamoru blushed softly and turned to look away, "I don't know... I can't see her face,"

"But you said she has pretty long hair,"

"Yes, but that's all I see, her face is blurry or covered by her hair... silver,"

"What?"

"Her hair is silver... it sparkles... it's very shiny..."

"Sparkles? Like... glitter sparkles?"

Mamoru shook his head while continuing to look away, "No... like... stars..."

"Like strings of moonbeam?"

Mamoru widened his blue eyes and turned to look at her with awe, "Yes!" Hatsuko smiled and tilted her head, she finally had gotten his interest, "You said she talks to you?"

"Kinda,"

"What do you mean?"

"She wants me to find... something..."

"And, what is that?"

Mamoru frowned, "A crystal..."

"A crystal?"

"Yes,"

"What kind of crystal?"

"A silver one—" Mamoru turned to look out the window and let out a soft sigh, "Last year... it was raining too."

Hatsuko noticed the sudden change in Mamoru's voice and noticed the gloom in his eyes, "Tomorrow will be sunny,"

"Yeah..." Mamoru put the ball down on the table and sighed softly, "Can I leave now? I'm tired." The therapist widened her eyes a little and looked down at her watch, "Y-Yes... the hour is over," she put her pad down and turned to the boy who was walking towards the door with a soft smile on her face, "Happy birthday, Mamoru-kun."

Mamoru stopped by the door and stayed for a minute in silence before walking out of the room without looking back, "Yeah... thanks..."

As he walked down the hall, the conversation about the girl kept echoing in his mind. Over the past twelve months, it has been more recurrent and a little more vivid, he could almost smell her perfume despite being so up high on a balcony. He liked to see her, he liked her hair, it was like a soft curtain dancing in the breeze; she had an aura around her that was soothing to him and despite not listening to anything else but her request, the soft tone of her voice calmed his nerves. He noticed that the more he dreamt about her the less he would wave another panic attack.

"Mamoru-kun,"

Mamoru turned to see Chiko walking towards him, "I was looking all over for you—I thought—"

"I was in therapy," Mamoru quickly interrupted the young man and pursed his lips; Chiko sighed, "I see, well, good news... you have visitors,"

"What?"

"It's Sunday,"

"Ah..."

"And your birthday I've been told," Chiko smiled softly, Mamoru stayed silent and turned to look away, "Is it another person here to ask me more questions?"

"Ah, no, not this time... come on," Chiko grabbed Mamoru's arm, a gesture the boy did not appreciate, "I can go on my own,"

"Not after your recent stunt, little _Lupin_. You are one sneaky kid—I don't trust you right now, you lost that right. It's like if you were trained to be a stealth master..." Chiko walked with the boy down the long hall until they were out of the main building and crossed one of the gardens where many children were playing soccer.

"You should play soccer... it looks like you would be good at it, you run fast and jump pretty high for your age," he sighed softly, "You always have this gloomy look on your face, _Lupin_ , you never smile, you barely talk—it's like you're angry at the world. That's how everybody sees you—the angry kid. You lash out at everyone and push everyone away. Most kids don't even know your name, do you know what they call you?"

"I don't care what they call me,"

"Some call you Amnesia,"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "I told you I didn't care,"

"Well, you should care," Chiko stood by the door and looked down at Mamoru, "Because you are going to be here for a very, very, _very_ long time. You have nowhere else to go Mamoru-kun, this is your home now—this is where you live and whether you like it or not, we are all you have." He crouched and put his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked into his precious eyes, "Look, you can keep this daunting aura as long as you like, but you need to understand that what happened to you... it's no one's' fault. So, try to be nice."

Mamoru widened his eyes, there was something in the young man's words that clicked inside his brain, maybe it was the mocking tone of his voice, the bluntness in his words or the harsh way of telling him that he was tied to this place for many years to come. It was a brutal reality check but somehow that is what he needed to hear to finally start accepting his fate; after a year of being mad at everything and every one, this was what he needed to hear to start letting go: it was no one's fault and somehow, he was treating everyone like it was. This realization came from a young man that truly believed the Moon had a princess and that there were divine beings watching their every move and now, he was achieving something not even the therapist was able to achieve in a whole year treating him. Mamoru sighed and rolled his eyes with annoyance as his usual choice of defense mechanism but in reality, the minute he walked into the common room he already carried the seed Chiko had implanted in his mind.

Mamoru saw Ikio standing by the window with a girl in a pink dress holding his hand. "Here he is, Shimuta-san, all yours..."

Ikio turned over his shoulder and smiled softly when he saw Mamoru standing by the door wearing a pair of dark blue pants, a simple white cotton shirt, and black sneakers and silently thought how his life in the orphanage was starting to show in the simplicity of his clothing. Chiko nodded his head in respect and closed the door behind Mamoru, leaving him alone with the man and the girl with brown hair. Ikio had kept his promise and visited him regularly and tried to work on his bond with Mamoru; at first, the boy would be a little reluctant but with time, he realized he really meant no harm and acted a little more relaxed around him.

Ikio smiled "Hi,"

Mamoru nodded his head, "Hi,"

Ikio looked down at the girl and squeezed her hand gently, "Well? Aren't you going to say something to him, eh, Chieko?" Seven-year-old Chieko looked at Mamoru wide-eyed and blushed softly "Hi,"

"Hi," Mamoru looked at her then at Ikio who was coming closer and crouched in front of him, "I hope you don't mind her coming along... she insisted on seeing you, after all you were good friends," Mamoru looked at Chieko and then at Ikio again and shook his head, "It's fine,"

"Come," Ikio smiled and motioned Mamoru to follow him to the table, "We brought a surprise for you,"

Mamoru stopped and widened his eyes when he saw a small chocolate cake with white frosting with seven little blue and red candles. "Happy birthday, Mamoru." Ikio said softly "I know this—"

"You have to make a wish!"

Both Mamoru and Ikio turned to Chieko clapping her chubby hands with excitement, "You have to make a wish! It's tradition!"

Mamoru's initial stance would be to roll his eyes and walk away but Chiko's words echoed in his mind once again, pulling him back in line:

 _"Be nice."_

With a soft blush on his cheeks and soft releasing sigh, Mamoru walked closer to the table and closed his eyes for a second and leaned down to blow the candles. Chieko squealed with joy, making Mamoru jolt with surprise making him smile for the very first time in a whole year. Ikio noticed the sudden change in Mamoru's face and smiled as he leaned down to cut the small cake, "Chocolate is your favorite, right?" he handed Mamoru his slice and then turned to give Chieko hers and took a seat by the table. "Yes," Mamoru looked down at his fluffy slice of chocolate cake and then at Ikio and gave him a shy smile, "Thank you,"

"You're welcome," Ikio was about to say something else when a knock on the door startled everyone in the room, "Shimuta-san," Chiko stood by the door again, "Sorry to interrupt but, would you mind coming to the main office for a moment?"

"Sure," Ikio bit his lip and turned to Chieko, then Mamoru, "Could keep an eye on her for me, Mamoru?"

Mamoru turned to Chieko who was eating the frosting on her slice of cake and nodded. She looked harmless, he thought to himself as he watched her lick her spoon with content. "I will be right back," Ikio patted the boy's shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving the two children alone. With a sigh, Mamoru leaned back in his chair and looked away, not really sure what to say to the girl in front of him, he didn't feel angry but he didn't feel friendly either and since he couldn't remember her either, he preferred to remain quiet while she continued eating her piece of cake in peace. Chieko put her spoon down and looked at him with wonder and frowned, "Is it true?"

"What?" Mamoru finally turned his attention to her; Chieko swallowed her bite of cake, "That you don't remember anything." Mamoru clenched his jaw and turned to look away again, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he had to talk about that specific topic. "Yes, it's true."

"Nothing?"

"No,"

"Not even a teeny, tiny bit?" Chieko squinted her eyes and brought her thumb and index finger together. Mamoru frowned, slightly annoyed, "No,"

"Why?"

"I had an accident... in case you didn't know."

"So how come you can't live back where you did?"

"Because I'm an orphan,"

"I heard you have been trying to escape this place—I can see why, it's ugly and it smells weird too," Chieko looked at his piece of cake once she finished hers, "Are you going to eat that?"

"No," Mamoru sighed and slid his cardboard plate with the small slice of cake to her, "You can have it,"

"You don't want it?"

"I'm not hungry,"

"But it's your birthday, you should eat cake on your birthday,"

Mamoru propped his legs up and hugged them close to his chest, "It's okay, to me is like any other day. I don't care for it."

"Really? I _love_ my birthdays," Chieko smiled proudly, "This year I want daddy to buy me a diamond tiara to go with my pink tutu—it's going to be a ballerina themed party,"

"Hm..." Mamoru rested his chin on his knees and sighed with slight disinterest, "Sounds nice..."

"Yes," Chieko finished her second slice of cake and cleaned the frosting smudged on her chin with her napkin, "You should come," Mamoru arched a brow, "Me?" he chuckled with sarcasm, "No, I don't think so..."

"Why not?" Chieko frowned, Mamoru shook his head "I am not allowed to go out of this place, and even if I did, what am I going to do at a ballet themed party?"

"Easy! You dance!"

"I don't know how to dance ballet,"

"So, if you don't like birthdays and you don't eat birthday cake, then why did you make a wish?"

The question made Mamoru think again about what Chiko said and tightened his arms around his legs and closed his eyes. "Because I don't want to stay here forever... I want to do other things..."

The cryptic comment made Chieko frown, "Like what?" Mamoru opened his blue eyes, "There is something I need to find..." A sudden flush colored his cheeks and hid his face behind his knees shyly, "And someone I need to meet..."

"Who?"

The blush in Mamoru's cheeks deepened, "Someone with silver hair,"

Chieko puffed her cheeks like a squirrel and pursed her lips, "You're weird..." she looked at him with curious eyes, "How long are you going to stay here?" Mamoru looked up at her and sighed softly, "A very long time," he frowned, "Why? Are you going to keep coming or what?"

Chieko shrugged her shoulders, "Maaaaybe, until I can convince you to come to one of my birthday parties." Mamoru widened his deep blue eyes and gave her a faint smile, "Yeah... maybe."

O—o—o—o—O

-Seven years later-

"The improvement is considerable," Hatsuko put Mamoru's file over her desk and turned to Ikio, who was standing by the window watching 14-year-old Mamoru playing soccer with the other boys in the field below; he could see he was slowly becoming a man in his own right, one he heard from many of the social workers in the orphanage had become quite the heartthrob. Over the course of these seven years, Ikio had witnessed the many changes in Chiba Mamoru; from being lost and angry at the world, to be scared and depressed. After his first year at the orphanage, Mamoru stopped his attempts of escaping and focused on his studies and his new life with 100+ children dealing with their own kinds of problems. He started opening up and finally found friends; he was not the angry kid with amnesia anymore, except for Chiko's nickname, he was finally someone with a name and one willing to help others but also, he became a very independent young man and one that liked to learn how to do things on his own and he left it clear the moment he asked Ikio to stop visiting at the orphanage in order to continue to grow on his own without the shadow of a past he no longer remembered.

Chieko had also stopped tagging along with Ikio when he visited, giving Mamoru cue to understand that no matter how good or close they were in the past, it was time to move on. While they learned to get along well and they actually had fun in each meeting, every time Chieko visited it was becoming clearer that she was stepping away from the simple things in life, something Mamoru had embraced as a lifestyle. The now young man went through a lot of enlightening trials and changes in these seven years; he was growing up and with that came more responsibilities. His chores and obligations around the orphanage were more demanding and just as it happened with him when Chiko looked after him when he was just a small kid, he now had to look after the new children admitted at the orphanage and do the same thing Chiko did with him when they didn't want to cooperate: give them a reality check and be an older brother to them by giving a word of advice; Mamoru now stayed in the opposite ward, he was officially one of the older ones. He also had his studies, which he was excelling with the best of grades earning him a place in the wall of honor every month and the extra-curricular activities to keep him busy and going with a much more positive perspective.

An older Hatsuko looked at Ikio as she sat behind her wooden desk, "The panic attacks are gone, his mood improved and doesn't have a hostile attitude towards the staff or children anymore, but, he is still very reserved, he still doesn't want to talk about his parents or the accident but I can say with pride that after seven years, we finally see changes in this young man's spirit and we can end with the therapy sessions." she smiled softly, "I suppose that same recurring dream of his has helped his subconscious _and_ his mood," she closed the folder and crossed her hands over the desk, "He is determinant and smart—very smart. He constantly says he has things to do and places to go once he is old enough to leave this place."

Ikio nodded and turned to Hatsuko, "So I heard,"

"He has been given the liberties youngsters his age has, he can go out on his own every now and then around the district but he still has curfews and he still has to report to us his every move. He is still our responsibility."

Ikio walked back to the desk and sat across from the therapist, "Until when?"

"Mamoru may have improved his behavior over the years and he may be fourteen years old, but he still has to prove he has what it takes to live on his own and blend in with society—while he hasn't done anything to prove us wrong, he is still very young and the world out there is unforgiving. In a way, he has been sheltered in this place and has found comfort but living in the real world is a completely different thing."

"I want to have a word with him if it is possible,"

"He asked us not to,"

Ikio sighed, "I know what he's trying to do and I understand, I do, but I believe it is time for us to have a conversation about his future, man to man." He leaned back and crossed his arms, "When he was admitted here I was told I could be involved in his education as much as I wanted, and I believe the time has come. He has attended public schools up until now... I want to know if that is what he wants to continue doing,"

Hatsuko pursed her lips and nodded, "Very well—I will send someone to get him," she turned to her intercom and pressed a button, "Izumi-san, could you send someone to tell Mamoru to come to my office, please?"

"Yes, Hatsuko-san,"

Hatsuko looked at Ikio and arched his brow, "Let us hope for the best,"

O—o—O

Down at the soccer field, Mamoru just scored another goal that granted his team the victory. He raised his arms with triumph and a smile on his face as he turned to his fellow teammates and high fived them "We won!" one of them said with excitement, "That was a good one, Mamoru!"

Mamoru smiled and patted the other young man's shoulder and fellow friend, "Hey, if it wasn't for that pass you made, I wouldn't have been able to score,"

"This was a good game," Katsuo said with a pride smile, "Want to go for another round? Or you have rounds to make?"

"I have rounds to make and still a ton of homework to do—but what about—" Mamoru turned to see Aki, the newest addition to the orphanage's staff running towards them and widened his eyes when he saw her long black hair going in all directions with the wind, clearly having a hard time trying to keep it under control. Katsuo frowned "She's always struggling with it,"

"Yeah..."

"Why doesn't she braid it?"

"What?" Mamoru turned to his friend and gave him a playful smirk, "Do _you_ want to braid her hair?"

"W-What?!"

"Oh, come on," Mamoru kept his smirk in place, "It couldn't be more obvious,"

Katsuo sighed, "Yeah well, it's not like she would ever notice me—"

"Don't be so gloomy, Katsuo-kun," Mamoru patted his shoulder "It doesn't suit you,"

"Yeah, that's something only _you_ can pull off," Katsuo frowned making Mamoru smile, "Exactly—leave it to the pros,"

"Mamoru-kun!"

Both Mamoru and Katsuo turned to Aki running out of breath for having run all the field to get to the young man. "Ma—moru—kun..." she leaned down and gasped for a couple of more breaths and looked up all flushed, "Hatsuko-san is asking for you,"

"You okay, Aki-san?" Katsuo asked with worry, Aki nodded and took another breath, "Y-Yes,"

"Did she say what for?"

"No,"

"Maybe it's one of those impromptu sessions she's been giving lately," Katsuo turned to Mamoru, "And she has lots of material to work with your sub-conscience,"

"Ha-ha, that's funny," Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes and turned to the panting girl, "Did she say where?"

"Her office,"

"Alright, thanks, Aki-san," Mamoru turned on his heel and walked all the way back to the main building. He wiped the sweat trickling from his forehead with his arm and knocked on the door softly, "Come in," Mamoru heard the woman say and opened the heavy wooden door, "You wanted to see me, Hat... suko-san..." he widened his blue eyes when he saw Ikio sitting across from the therapist.

"Yes, Mamoru-kun, please, come in—take a seat,"

"I'm fine here, thank you." Mamoru closed the door behind him and leaned his back on it, "I was playing soccer and it's quite sunny outside, I stink,"

Hatsuko smiled softly, "Shimuta-san is here to have a word with you, so, I will leave you two alone now," she turned to Ikio, "Call us if you need anything,"

"Thank you, Hatsuko-san,"

The therapist nodded and walked out of the office and closed the door behind her, leaving an awkward silence between the two men. Mamoru leaned back on the door again and let out a soft sigh, "What are you doing here, Ikio-san?"

"Ikio- _san_? What happened to simply Ikio? I know we haven't seen in a long time but we are still in good terms, I believe,"

"Still, I must pay my respects," Mamoru frowned, "Although, you still haven't answered my question,"

Ikio had his back towards Mamoru and just like the young man, he also let out a soft sigh, "I know you asked me not to come anymore and while I have respected your decision, I believe it is time for us to have a serious conversation,"

"About?"

Ikio turned to look at Mamoru over his shoulder and smiled softly, "My, you have grown... look at you... you're a man now."

"Not to the people of this institution," Mamoru crossed his arms and saw Ikio patting the chair next to him, "That is what I want to talk to you about, please,"

Mamoru felt hesitant at first but ended up complying with the older man's wishes and took the seat next to him. Ikio crossed his leg and turned to look at him, "I was told you are doing well with your studies and that you are doing extra-curricular work tutoring some kids at school. I even heard you've taught some English, I'm glad you have kept those skills sharp."

Mamoru thought ahead and he knew that he needed to have some sort of stability to be able to get out of the orphanage and by stability, he knew it had to do with money. But things were going slower than he would like them to be. On his free days, he would, as Ikio mentioned, give some basic lessons in English at his school and while it kept him busy and with his skills sharp, it didn't leave much for his pocket. Until one day he was sent to shop art supplies for the craft workshop for the kids at the orphanage when he saw an ad at a local store looking to hire a grocer. Not sure why, since he had little to no experience, he still filled out an application without really expecting to be called since he couldn't give much information about him, he barely knew his whole name, let alone, his social security number but much to his surprise, when he returned to check if there was any news about the opening he was told he had gotten the job.

To the people at the store, he lived with his parents, and to the orphanage, he had extra-curricular tutoring sessions at school. it was a win-win situation for him because he could still continue his studies and use his free time to work and earn some money and see what it was like to live in the real world. He started saving every yen religiously, and every time he arranged a can on a shelf he felt closer to fulfilling his dream of living without the orphan label stuck in his forehead. Mamoru aimed higher, he wanted to go to a better school and he already had one in mind where he could apply for a scholarship and that would eventually open doors for him—yes, he did his research and a very good one at that. "Yes..."

"What are you planning on doing once you graduate from junior high, Mamoru?" Ikio crossed his arms, "Are you enrolling in another public school?"

Mamoru looked at the man hesitantly, Ikio noticed, "Mamoru, you know you can trust me—I have followed your wishes and you have done things your way, I am only trying to help you."

"How, exactly?"

"If you want to enroll to a private school, there are ways we can make that happen. You just need to tell me,"

"By giving me money, you mean?" Mamoru frowned. Before he asked Ikio to step back and stop visiting him, he told him he was left with an inheritance from his late parents. He didn't know the exact amount, he didn't even imagine how much he was left but the way Ikio talked about it made him think it was more than a *million yen he initially thought.

Ikio nodded, "It would be your money—I am your late family's legal and financial representative. If you want to go to a private school, I can make the necessary arrangements to use some of that money to pay your tuition,"

Mamoru found the offer very tempting but there was something that didn't feel right, not for him and not because he didn't trust Ikio. The man was honest and he has proven it over the course of many years; he was the first he saw when he woke up from his coma and he never stopped looking out for him even when he asked him to stop visiting. He was the one that constantly told him stories about his parents and the one that gave him pictures of them he now kept like his most valuable treasure safe and sound under his mattress. This matter was not about him not trusting Ikio, it was more a matter of pride and dignity, one Mamoru had nurtured and kept intact once he stepped out of the shadows of his blurry past. "No," he shook his head, startling Ikio, "What?"

"No, I don't want you to do that, I don't want money,"

"Mamoru,"

"Ikio-san," Mamoru shook his head, "It's not because I don't trust you, it's because I want you to trust me. I have grown and I have learned how to defend myself in the real world. Yes, I have another school in mind once I graduate but whatever institution I decide to enroll myself, I want to do it on my own because I know I can do it under my own terms, I want it to be by my own merits. If I accepted this money it would be like taking the easiest road and I wouldn't feel it like a milestone in my life. This is what my life's been about Ikio-san, if you want something... no matter how big or small, you have to work hard for it and that's what I am going to do," he turned to Ikio, "Ikio-san, this is all I have—my achievements in whatever size or level of importance, they're mine. If I take the money I would feel like I am being disloyal to myself and I cannot allow that."

Ikio listened to the young man's argument with wide eyes filled with admiration; he knew Mamoru was determinant but this was another level of determination. The boy had guts and courage and while he was obviously nervous and afraid of failing, he was still moving forward and working on whatever he needs to work to succeed.

"My goal is to leave this place—and don't get me wrong, I care for the little ones. I like being an oniisan and a sempai, but, I want more. I can't stay here forever. I haven't said anything to Hatsuko-san because that would mean another year of therapy and I am also tired of that. I want to move forward and to do that, I must do it away from this district and these white walls." Mamoru sighed, "I want to hire your services, I don't want you to do things in memory of my late parents, I want you to be _my_ legal advisor, but, to do that, I need money Ikio-san and I'm not going to get it by being here, scrubbing floors or cooking for 100+ children."

Ikio chuckled, "Boy, you don't need to pay for my serv—"

"I want to." Mamoru looked at him with that same determinant glare, "You told me once that my father did, despite being close friends—he hired you and I want to do it too, Ikio-san, not because you were his friend but because you are the best. I know that because I've done my research."

"You sure have harvested some pride over the years, Mamoru." Ikio leaned back in his chair, "It takes guts to talk like this,"

"I don't have anything to lose, but I do have everything to win. I don't want anything come as a favor, that's something I've promised myself since I got here." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "I don't want to live under a label—I don't want people to know I am an orphan and give me petty looks, I am tired of that too." he smiled softly, "I want to become a doctor," Ikio arched his brow with admiration, "Oh?"

Mamoru nodded, "Back then... when I was at the hospital... the doctors that treated me, while good, they were cold... distant... I didn't feel like they cared for me. They stung me with needles all the time and I know it's because they needed blood samples to study my case and that I had panic attacks all the time but they kept drugged and tied to a bed for hours... I felt imprisoned," he narrowed his blue eyes, "I want to be the kind of doctor that doesn't treat their patients like experiments but like people with feelings..."

Ikio tilted his head while he looked at him with wonder, "Well, that requires serious dedication and study—you would need to study a specialization after finishing Med School,"

"I know," Mamoru nodded, "And I will do it. I want to help others not go through the same things I went through—I don't wish that to anyone. I want to help people." Ikio smiled with pride, "And here I thought you would follow your father's steps and move around the financial circle,"

"I will learn whatever I need to learn to keep that unaffected," Mamoru turned to Ikio, "With your help, of course,"

"Of course," Ikio nodded, "I will guide you and teach you whatever you need to learn... I can see that will not be a problem."

Mamoru smiled softly, "Thank you, Ikio-san," he turned to look out the window and sighed softly, "So... how is Chieko doing?"

"Ah, Chieko... she's doing fine. She will be attending Seisen International School in Setagaya-Ku this summer," Ikio sighed softly, "She has good grades, many friends, she is doing fine."

"Is she still throwing big birthday parties?"

"She is still throwing big birthday parties," Ikio nodded, "It's her favorite holiday..."

"It's been a long time since I last saw her," Mamoru kept the same sad smile, "But it is understandable, this place is depressing,"

"You know how she is," Ikio muttered, "A little too spoilt to be honest with you—that's my fault. I have given her everything she has ever wanted... and more." He frowned, "Everything, except my permission to go out on dates," he turned to Mamoru, "Although, I wouldn't mind if she dated you."

Mamoru blushed and turned to Ikio, "Oh... um, well..." Ikio chuckled and patted Mamoru's shoulder "Don't get so nervous, it's just a thought,"

"Ikio-san..." Mamoru scratched the back of his head. Ikio's smile faded quickly, "Mamoru... please be careful. If the orphanage finds out about your little side project at the local store, you'll get in serious trouble."

Mamoru widened his eyes and turned to look at Ikio, "W-Wait, you know about that?"

"Of course, I know, I'm a lawyer... a good one, you said so yourself," Ikio tilted his head low, "I have means to find any kind of information,"

"Are you going to stop me then?"

"No," Ikio shook his head and gave the young man a prideful smirk, "No, I really want to see where this is going—what you will do next. I really want to see you succeed." He leaned closer to Mamoru, "But I want you to be careful. This will remain between just you and me, but, just answer me this... what school are you planning to apply?"

Mamoru arched his brow, "Ah, I see what you're doing..." he chuckled softly, "I won't tell you—if I do, I have the feeling that you will do something to make it easier for me to get in and I don't want that."

"Fair enough," Ikio leaned back in his chair, "You have matured, Mamoru—I am proud of you." He stood up from his chair and turned to Mamoru, "Well, I believe there is nothing else to talk about," Mamoru followed suit and widened his eyes when he saw Ikio offering his hand, "Until next time, Chiba Mamoru."

Mamoru smiled softly and shook his hand, "Until next time, Shimuta Ikio-san,"

"Ikio,"

"Not yet,"

Ikio sighed softly, "Alright, alright—you win."

O—o—o—o—O

"Mamoru, please take over the cashier the rest of the afternoon," Mao, the store owner told the young man while he was finishing putting up some canned goods in shelves, "Asumi will be absent for the rest of the day and I need someone to cover—you are the only one who can,"

Mamoru turned and bowed his head, "Y-Yes, Mao-san,"

Mao smiled, "You are one hard-working young man—new merchandise will arrive this evening, can you stay and do inventory tonight?"

"Uh..." Mamoru bit his lower lip, "...Sure,"

"If you need to call someone, you can use the phone in my office,"

Mao was a kind woman, strict and brutally honest but with a heart of gold. Mamoru understood part of that tough personality was to make her business work. She was a little chubby, light brown curly hair down her shoulders, and for some reason, she loved to bake the most random pie combinations and coffee; she loved coffee. She was the kind of woman with an infectious laugh and the one that treated everyone like family, but the young man had earned a special place because of his innocent charm and his hard-working attitude, plus, she had discovered he was good with children one day when she couldn't find a nanny to look after her two little girls, Tao and Mei. Ever since, he had offered to babysit when she had to stay up late at the store to do inventory or when she went out to have a very well-deserved date with her husband; luckily in a short period of time, the girls had grown very fond of him and earned a little extra cash for the help which was a major plus to work along with his plan to earn his independence.

Mao was the only one that knew Mamoru's current living situation and while she was surprised when she found out due to his incredible organizing skills, she supported him because she too had gone through a similar situation. When she was five years old, she was left by her parents in an orphanage because they could no longer provide for her, they were so poor they had to give her up and sadly, they never came back for her. After rotating many foster homes and orphanages all around Japan, tired and desperate for a change, Mao left the orphanage she was taken to and started working at a farmer's market, giving her all the tools she needed to learn to manage her own business and finally be free. This store was the perfect example of that freedom and experience Mamoru has wanted for years to learn and put to practice in his daily life.

The minute Mao learned Mamoru was another kid from an orphanage trying to make a living on his own, she instantly showed her motherly mantle and took the boy under her wing and advised him with everything he needed to do if he ever wanted to leave the orphanage and so, he did. A few weeks after his meeting with Ikio, Mamoru went to apply for a scholarship at Moto Azabu High School and for two long weeks he was immersed in their intensive and demanding enrollment process, entrance exams and several interviews with the school board to see if he qualified for the scholarship but after another long week, he was finally given the news that he had been accepted and that he started his first year in the fall.

When the news of his great achievement broke at the orphanage, Hatsuko and the other staff members were against the idea of him going there since Moto Azabu High School was too far from the district and out of the area he was allowed to move around. Not long after, and much to everyone's surprise, they found out he had been living a double life and that not only he had a job for the past nine months but that it was at least an hour away from the orphanage—in the district of Minato and that is when things got complicated. Since Mamoru was still not a legal adult, they were still in charge of his well-being but, with the advice and help from Mao, he proved he could live on his own when he showed them receipts of his income and paychecks and a letter from both Mao as his boss and another from who would be his new landlord, one Mao helped him get without a problem, leaving everyone speechless and without much else to do to stall him. Mamoru had silently woven his way out with hard work and determination and it was time for them to let him go, and this time, for good.

At last, Mamoru was finally free and living in the real world.

"Thank you, Mao-san," he smiled softly,

"Oh, and about that _other_ thing you asked me about..." Mao said softly, "The contract for your lease is ready, I just got the call from Seku-san. You can go and pick it up during your break," Mamoru's smile widened with excitement, "Thank you so much for letting me give your name as a reference, Mao-san,"

"You don't need to thank me, it's my pleasure, Mamoru-kun," Mao let out a hearty chuckle, "You're free, but that doesn't mean things get easier—now, you only have one option and that is to go up, otherwise, you will be taken back to that place. Your freedom is a loan right now, you have to work hard to make it a permanent fact."

"Yes, Mao-san," Mamoru nodded and finished putting the cans that were close to expiring in the basket to take back to the warehouse. After his lunch break and signing the lease of his new place, one of three tiny rooms in a small building he would be sharing with three other people separately. It wasn't bad and it had everything Mamoru needed, a single bed, a portable stove over a concrete counter, a small fridge and a table where he could do his homework and not much else.

After finishing his business, Mamoru returned to the store to take over the cashier as Mao had requested; his day was going as according to his schedule, he had his few belongings with him now and were safe in the store's warehouse, he finally had the keys to his new place and he had already studied for his finals that week. Things were going smoothly and it was time to assist his next customer in line and scanned a glass bottle of water, "Good afternoon, would this be all?"

"Yes,"

Mamoru turned to meet his customer and widened his eyes when he saw a girl with long, luscious brown hair looking at him with the same amount of shock as him, "M-Mamoru?" Chieko gaped at the sight of the young man on the other side of the cashier, "Is that you?"

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters_

 _A/N: These chapters might feel be a little rushed compared to how I normally write stories, but they were meant to be a reference to Mamoru's backstory, and still, it managed to be divided into three parts._

 _If you want more references to this chapter, read Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife, chapter 43 and/or "Perfect timing, terrible lighting"_

 _*Natsuo: The one who came to this world during the summer season._

 _**Harumi: Spring beauty._

 _***($10,000 USD Approx.)_


	5. Shades of Blue - Indigo

_Divinity: A day in the life_

 _Shades of Blue - Extra chapter_

* * *

\- PART TWO: INDIGO BLUE -

-O-

Mamoru blinked his eyes a couple of times and cleared his throat, "Chieko..."

"Oh my god," Chieko mumbled and leaned forward to look closer at him and smiled widely, "It really is you!" Neither of them found it hard to recognize each other since Ikio often showed pictures of her to Mamoru and Chieko saw pictures of Mamoru in Ikio's files over the years. Mamoru smiled softly, "Hi... long time, no see..."

"Oh my god, it's been so long! I think... eight years or so?" Chieko leaned closer to give him a quick hug, one he couldn't avoid despite not being a fan of these sudden shows of affection, especially in public. Mamoru chuckled softly as he pulled back, "Something like that, yeah,"

"W-What are you doing here!?" Chieko smiled widely, "How have you been?!"

"Good, thanks for asking—I work here, actually," Mamoru nodded and turned to the cashier, "*217 Yen, please,"

"Huh?" Chieko frowned, slightly taken aback by his comment, Mamoru pointed the glass water bottle and then the monitor on his cashier, "For that... it's going to be *217 Yen,"

"Oh! Right!" Chieko chuckled and looked inside her fancy black wallet for the spare cash, "I am waiting for some friends to go and have a frap but got thirsty—I didn't know you worked here! It's so weird... after not seeing each other for so long... and now you here, working... and us meet this way... it's so weird and cool at the same time,"

"Yeah..." Mamoru smiled and took the change and handed her the receipt, "It was good seeing you, Chieko,"

"What?" Chieko blinked a little surprised to be cut off so bluntly by Mamoru, but the young man motioned his head at the customer standing behind her and widened her eyes when she realized there was a person waiting to be assisted and moved aside, "Oh, yes..."

"Sorry..." Mamoru smiled as he began scanning for the items of his new customer after giving it a quick polite salute and then turned to Chieko, "But I meant it, it's good seeing you are doing well,"

"You too..." Chieko smiled with a nod, "I think we should totally see each other again soon... if you're free of course," Mamoru took the money from the customer and nodded, "Sure,"

"Cool," Chieko smiled, "How about tomorrow? What do you say?" Mamoru turned to look at her and smiled softly, "Sure,"

"I'll be around this area around 4:00 in the afternoon, tomorrow. We can meet at the park that's a block from here, see you there?"

"Alright,"

"Good—alright, I will see you then,"

"See you,"

O—o—o—o—O

 _"The legendary Silver Crystal..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find me..."_

Mamoru opened his eyes and gasped for air and looked around still a little startled, he was not really sure when he had fallen asleep while he waited to meet with Chieko. Since he opted to get an earlier shift at the store to have more time to study for his finals, he was usually free by three or four in the afternoon, depending on the flow of customers and if they had to receive new merchandise to stock or if Mao had found a sitter for her little girls. Particularly, that day, Mamoru thought it was best if he left the store at three o' clock sharp before anyone asked for sudden favors so he could go to the park where he had agreed to meet with Chieko the next day an hour early so he could have a moment to study a little more since his groovy neighbors decided to throw a very loud party the night before giving Mamoru a terrible night's sleep.

It was becoming a custom for his neighbors to host parties in the middle of the week at any time of the day. It really bothered him because he was a person who appreciated peace and quiet, but he was a fifteen-year-old guy that could barely afford a small room to live, let alone an apartment with much a quieter ambiance, so he had to suck it up and deal with it—he learned how to do it. Deal with life's unexpected curves. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the lack of understanding from his loud neighbors, he always tried to remind himself all this was part of the real world he so much wanted to be part of. Mamoru sighed heavily as he looked down at his hands and frowned when he felt an itch, the same he had been feeling for years now and always pulled him back to think about his constant dream.

"The Legendary Silver Crystal..." he mumbled still a little hazed from his sudden nap and rubbed the bridge of his nose and thought about the girl with shiny moonbeam hair asking him to find it and to find her ever since he woke up from his coma, "Who are you?" He took a deep breath and let it go slowly, still in wonder, "Just what is that crystal?"

"What crystal?"

Mamoru widened his blue eyes and turned to find Chieko wearing a short pale blue summer dress that showed her long lean legs with her brown leather booties; her long chocolate hair was tied up in a high ponytail, exposing her pretty heart-shaped face, he blinked, taken completely by surprise, "Chieko, h-hey..."

"Were you just talking to yourself?" Chieko frowned and went to sit next to him on the bench he chose under a tree; Mamoru blushed softly and shook his head, "Uh... no?" Chieko chuckled, "You're still the same weird guy from all those years back, huh?"

"I guess," Mamoru smiled, "How are you?"

"Good," Chieko smiled and looked down at her watch then back at him curiously, "You are right on time—do you still have strict curfews from the people at the orphanage?"

Mamoru looked at her with genuine surprise figuring that since he has somehow kept in touch with her father more often, he might have mentioned something about him and his current life but this only meant Ikio was trusting him enough by being solidary and respecting his decision of doing things on his own and giving him the privacy he wanted, "No," he said softly and gave Chieko a small smile, "I don't live at the orphanage anymore,"

This new piece of information surprised Chieko greatly since it was something she was sure not expecting to hear. When her parents spoke to her when she was old enough to understand what had really happened to Mamoru, she knew things with him were never going to be the same. She wasn't going to see him as often due to the strict rules he lived under and that it was a mystery as to when he might be able to live on his own. "Y-You left?" Her brown eyes widened with shock, "Really? Since when?"

"Just recently,"

"So, where do you live now? Did you find a foster home?"

"No,"

Chieko frowned with curiosity, "Did you get adopted?"

"I was never up for adoption,"

"Oh,"

"No," Mamoru shook his head, "No, I live on my own now—I'm done with all that,"

"Oh?"

"What?"

Chieko shook her head, still very much surprised, "N-No... nothing, it's just—it's so unexpected. I thought you could live on your own until you were an adult." Mamoru nodded, "Yeah, that's why I have a job,"

"Yeah, about that..." Chieko chuckled lightly, "How weird was it to find you there? I never thought I would see you again, to be honest with you..." She bit her lip, "After you told daddy to stop going to see you, I kind of lost all track..."

"Well, in my defense you stopped going years before that," Mamoru arched his brow "If I can recall correctly."

Chieko chuckled again and waved her hands defensively, "Ah, well—in _my_ defense, that place was too depressing and it smelled weird _all_ the time. Plus, I never got to convince you to go to any of my birthday parties... I got tired of waiting, you know?"

Mamoru chuckled, "Ah... that—do you still do that?"

"What?"

"The big birthday parties?"

"Of course!" Chieko exclaimed with excitement, "I _love_ my birthday! What better holiday than your own birthday?" She chuckled softly, "Daddy knows it and while he has tried to cut low on the expenses every year, I'm his precious only daughter, he can't say no to me—never, ever."

"I imagine," Mamoru smiled; Chieko tilted her head with curiosity "And what about you? You still find birthdays annoying?" Mamoru chuckled at her comment, "I don't find them annoying, I just don't care, really." He shrugged his shoulders, "To me, they're just like any other day,"

"Well, if you hang out with me more, I will prove you wrong," Chieko winked an eye at him, "I know how to organize _the_ best birthday parties,"

"You should do that for a living..." Mamoru leaned his back on the bench, Chieko laughed, "I just like planning parties for people I know," She looked at him with mischief, "I could plan one for you if you like,"

"I'm good, thanks, plus, my birthday was like two weeks ago,"

"Right... it was raining a lot,"

"Yeah... it always does, despite having been said I was born on a _very_ sunny day countless of times,"

"So..." Chieko turned to Mamoru, "Are you still in touch with my dad?"

"More or less," Mamoru sighed, "Not like we used to, but I wouldn't say we are not in touch,"

Chieko frowned, "Did you have a fight with him?"

"No,"

"Then why did you ask him to stop visiting you?"

Mamoru pursed his lips, "I just... I needed to be left alone for a while,"

"Why?"

"So I could understand some things..." Mamoru tilted his head up and looked at the foliage of the big tree shade, "And learn some others,"

Chieko leaned her head on her arm resting on the edge of the bench and paid close attention to the young man next to her and silently admitted she had an instant crush on Mamoru. Unlike him, she did remember playing with him before the accident happened, they weren't as close as Ikio had mentioned before but they were friends—good friends. For some reason, there was always a strange tension between them and she would often think he was a little weird because he was too quiet and too reserved for a five or six-year-old kid.

Chieko remembered Mamoru as cute; he had a cute face, cute black hair, cute chubby cheeks, cute eyes, but now that they had grown and were in the middle of adolescence, she saw those traits she found cute back then, had refined. His black hair was longer than she remembered and it fell graciously over his deep blue eyes framed by nicely groomed upward dark brows. His once button-shaped nose had taken a straight, sharp form and those cute chubby cheeks she remembered was now substituted by a more chiseled jaw and much more elegant and very handsome features. He had an elite profile and that cuteness she saw in him before had morphed into straight-up attraction—she felt attracted to him. She noticed his voice had gone through changes too, and while she didn't remember him having a high or squeaky voice as a kid, she did notice the warm undertone it was taking, it was slightly deep and soothing and for a fifteen-year-old teen, that was something to notice. Chieko silently admitted the guy was nothing remotely close to the other guys that had caught her attention in the past and she couldn't ignore the strong interest she felt for him.

His body had changed too, she noticed. He had gotten tall and it looked like he kept the habit of working out regularly because his body looked lean and well-toned. Chieko herself had gone through the changes of adolescence too, she wasn't the girl in pigtails that loved to wear dresses with ruffles anymore. She kept her long tresses but she now she styled it in luscious curls. Chieko was a very pretty girl, the one that was chosen for everything and always won the popularity polls at school. She was always involved in all social events. Big brown eyes framed by full lashes, a pouty mouth, rosy cheeks, and a perfectly white smile, Chieko was often said she had the face of a porcelain doll. Her body also went through the changes of age, leaving her innocent childish image behind.

Chieko was the girl every guy wanted to date and every girl wanted to be. She had an undeniable charm and while she had a bratty attitude at times, she had this magical way to make it look adorable and she got her way, all the time. Shimuta Chieko knew how to use her charm to her advantage and Mamoru had now caught her entire attention.

"You still can't remember, right? What happened to you..." Chieko noticed Mamoru stiffening in his seat and shook his head, "No," he sighed softly, "I know what happened, I know how bad it was... but, I can't remember any of it."

"Not even your parents?"

"No, not even them. I have pictures of them but I can't remember _them_ —if that makes sense."

Chieko pursed her lips and turned to look away at the fountain in the distance, "You had a _very_ cool house," her comment caught Mamoru's attention and turned to her with a curious look on his face, "I did?"

"Yeah," Chieko smiled, "Well, it wasn't exactly a house—just like us, you used to live in a penthouse, in a very fancy area and building, it was nice. I remember it had a lot of windows," she turned to look at him and arched a perfect brow, "Our parents were very close friends, that's why we knew each other. We used to visit each other all the time."

Mamoru smiled and nodded, "I know. I was told that _many_ times... but... I'm sorry, I have to ask..." he narrowed his eyes with curiosity, "Were we really _that_ close?" The innocent tone in his voice made Chieko burst in laughter and shook her head, "No, not really,"

"Ah, I figured..." Mamoru smiled and leaned his head back, feeling much more relaxed around Chieko. Since he 'met' her, he always had this idea that she was the type of rich girl that didn't take a no for an answer, a little too bratty, a little too invasive and little too curious, and according to Ikio himself, she was a little too spoilt but now that they had an actual chance to talk like normal people and not like a bratty kid making inquisitive questions to an angry kid, Mamoru couldn't see any of those traits. She was actually being very nice and friendly and he liked that, he liked how she treated him like an old friend when circumstances for them had happened differently and their lifestyles were far apart from each other. There were extreme and obvious differences between them, while she flaunted expensive clothes and smelled like a queen; he wore humble clothes and didn't even had enough money to buy a cheap cologne. Mamoru didn't care, it was never a big deal for him because he couldn't miss something he couldn't remember, and in his mind, as he grew up to be, riches and wealth never happened. He had come up to a point where he accepted his reality as an orphan kid and how he had to do things himself without depending on anyone else but himself and his problem-solving skills. He figured he could ask for help if he needed it, Ikio, for example, but there was a hidden pride that always pulled him back and kept him from doing it.

Chieko chuckled with charm, "I mean... we _were_ close, but because our parents were close. We did hang a lot very often," she smiled and winked an eye at him, "But hey, that doesn't mean we can't be close friends now, don't you think?" Mamoru chuckled softly, "Yeah, I guess,"

"So, tell me, _my friend._ What are your plans for the summer?" Chieko looked at him with interest; Mamoru chuckled at how she emphasized the word friend and cleared his throat, "Ah... well, pretty much work,"

"W-What?!" Chieko blinked her eyes a little startled, "Work? That's it?"

"Yes and also, I'll start my first year of high school in the fall, so I have to study too." Mamoru nodded, "I live on my own now, so, I have to pay for stuff,"

"That could be solved easily..."

"What do you mean?"

"No, nothing..." Chieko leaned closer and smiled, "So, what school you will be going in the fall?"

"Moto Azabu," Mamoru smiled, "I passed the exams and I am officially done with all the interviews. I am finally in."

Chieko's eyes gleamed with interest at the mention of the private institution, already recognizing which one he was talking about. She has heard stories about that place, so it came as a total shock he was attending there, "Oh wow, that's like a super elite school... it's an all boy's school, right?"

"Yeah," Mamoru nodded, "I figured... if I want to be a good doctor, I need to have good schooling,"

"You want to be a doctor?" Chieko blinked surprised, "That's _a lot_ of school years,"

"It's okay, I like studying—I enjoy reading," Mamoru chuckled, making Chieko blush "You are still as strange as ever... but..." she leaned closer to Mamoru and planted a small kiss on his cheek, taking him completely by surprise, "So much cuter."

Mamoru widened his eyes and felt his cheeks go as hot as two roasted tomatoes, "W-What?"

"You heard me," Chieko smiled and looked down at her watch, "Oh, look at the hour! I have to go... my mom is expecting me to be home by dinner time and if I don't want a lecture from daddy on how I should never be late for anything, I better be there before he gets home,"

Mamoru nodded, "Yeah, you do that—no one likes to be scolded,"

Chieko sighed, "Yeah... and I do get a lot," she smiled "So... what are you doing this weekend?" She pointed her index finger at him, "And don't tell me that just work!"

"Ah... well..."

"Are you free?"

Mamoru scratched the back of his head, "I think so... I mean, I have to work at the store but, I think I can get out early if there aren't any last-minute chores," Chieko smiled widely, "Awesome!" she stood from the bench and turned to look at him, "We'll do something fun, okay?"

"Ah, sure," Mamoru nodded; Chieko chuckled "I'll see you then," she turned to leave, "Oh!" she stopped mid-track and turned to Mamoru who was looking at her with puzzlement, "Chieko?"

Chieko took a glittery pen and a piece of paper from her small black crossover purse and scribbled something quick before handing it to Mamoru, "That's my number, give me a call... you know... in case you ever want to talk to a friend. It's my own personal number so no one will answer but me," she winked an eye at him, "I only give it to my friends, so it's safe,"

Mamoru looked down at the piece of paper and nodded, "T-Thanks," Chieko smiled, "Okay now I _really_ have to go—I will see you soon!"

Mamoru watched her walk away and looked down at the piece of paper Chieko had given him with her phone number and saw a little red heart drawn right next to it and smiled, "See you soon... _friend._ "

O—o—o—o—O

After that first meeting, Mamoru and Chieko started to spend a lot of time together. Whether was him meeting her at random places she told him she would be, or she went looking for him at the store where he worked at; there was always time for them to hang out, and after many years, they finally could call themselves close friends. They spent their summer going to fun places Chieko thought would be worthy of showing Mamoru; shopping malls, museums, galleries, small places to eat, the movies; there was not a moment they would not spend apart and it felt good. It felt natural, for both of them.

It was a Saturday evening and Mamoru had ended his shift at work around seven so he had plenty of time on his own since Chieko said she was meeting her friends for a party so he thought it would be a good excuse to spend his time chilling and studying since fall was coming close and he wanted to be as prepared as necessary to start his new year at his new school with the right foot. Once he was done with the cash-cut he walked to the back office and saw Mao reading some papers in her desk with a worried frown, one he caught right away since was unusual to see that expression on her always smiling face. Noticing she was deeply concentrated in whatever those papers in her hands said, he cleared his throat to let her know he was there and looked up, "Oh, Mamoru,"

Mamoru showed her the small metal box in his hand, "May I come in?"

"Ah, sure, sure... come on in." Mao quickly changed her mortified expression and smiled at him, "All done?"

"It's all here." Mamoru nodded, "But you can double check, in case I missed something."

Mao chuckled and took the box from him, "That won't be necessary, Mamoru-kun, I trust you." She looked at him, "Thank you," she blinked, "What's wrong?"

Mamoru pressed his lips tight, he couldn't ignore the troubled look on her face from just a moment ago, "Is everything okay, Mao-san?"

Mao widened her eyes and quickly chuckled, "Yes, why?"

"You looked a little pale just before I came in..." Mamoru put up his hands up defensively, "I don't want to be nosy or anything but I—"

"Mamoru," Mao interrupted and leaned back on her chair with an unreadable look in her face, "I know this is not of my concern and I will respect whatever answer you choose to give me, but may I ask, why did you end up in an orphanage?"

Mamoru was taken completely by surprise by her question then remembered he never really explained his situation and how he became an orphan. Mao never asked and he never elaborated. After he told her he lived in an orphanage she took it as a given that his life had not been an easy one and helped him get out. He felt anxiety creeping in, he felt a knot in the pit of his stomach but the look in Mao's eyes was stronger and he couldn't hide that part of his life, not to her who would be the only person who could understand and not after everything she has done for him. Nervous and still a bit anxious to go back to open that little box in the back of his mind that kept his emotions in check, he let out a slow breath, "My parents and I were in a car accident on my birthday—I survived, they didn't."

Mao's throat turned dry, the color on her cheeks washed away and her eyes felt like they were losing focus because of the tears threatening to fall; she wanted to cry but she also knew Mamoru didn't want that, he didn't want pity, not even understanding, just like her, an orphan, she knew what someone who had gone through a rough life like that, what was most wanted was support. Orphans didn't like to be questioned and they certainly didn't like to dwell into the root of their abandon. There was a social tag they didn't like to be put on, one that alerted everyone they were different, that they were children of no one, that they did not belong anywhere. She knew it well, and she hated to see Mamoru was part of that world and that he had that social tag attached to his name.

"I'm so sorry..." Mao shook her head, "How insensitive of me to ask you that,"

Mamoru bit his lower lip and pulled the metal chair back to take a seat across from her, "It's alright. If there is anyone who deserves to know my reasons to live this kind of life, it's you." He gave her a weak smile, "You never asked me and I never explained myself. It's fair."

"How old were you, Mamoru?"

"Six,"

"I see..." Mao sighed, "A little six-year-old." She shook her head and closed her eyes, "I cannot imagine how lonely you must have felt."

"Confused—for the most part." Mamoru sighed, "I don't remember anything that happened. I guess it's better this way..."

"Not to remember," Mao looked down at the papers on her desk and started to fold them and put them inside a long white envelope, "Yes... that would be best,"

"Mao-san?" Mamoru frowned, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know..." Mamoru looked at her worried, "I can feel it... somehow,"

"You're an empath, Mamoru-kun," Mao chuckled lightly, "I don't know how you do it, it is a marvel. I'm fine, don't worry, _I'll be fine._ " She bit her lip and looked up at him with a smile, "So, any plans for tonight?"

Mamoru blinked at her sudden change of mood and topic, "Uh, no... not really."

"You need friends, Mamoru."

"I have you,"

Mao arched her brow, "Friends your age. Friends who aren't married and have kids... friends who don't need to search for any available babysitters to look after their kids because they have work to do." She pointed a finger at him, "Although, I think I've seen you talking to that girl, the butcher's daughter, what's her name again?"

Mamoru blinked, "Keiko? Yes, she's nice."

"And then I've seen you with another girl..." Mao narrowed her eyes, "One with long brown hair,"

Mamoru blushed, "Ah, she—"

"So, you don't have friends but you have a couple of girlfriends. How saucy of you."

"She's not my girlfriend, none of them are," Mamoru shook his head and diverted his gaze for a minute, "She's... she's someone from that past I can't remember."

"Oh?" Mao blinked, "Old friend?"

"Childhood friend."

"I see,"

Mao leaned her chin on her hand, "What's her name?"

"Shimuta Chieko," Mamoru looked at her and chuckled, "She's not my girlfriend!"

"My, my... you sound convinced."

"Well, I am!"

"Why?"

"What?"

"Is she not your girlfriend?" Mao looked at him with curiosity, "You're very handsome for kids your age, I would dare say that if you were a few years older—"

"Mao-san!"

"What? You didn't let me finish!"

"You're can be too intense some times,"

"And you too naive."

Mamoru blushed and looked down, ashamed, "I don't think about those things..."

"Why not?"

Mamoru's blush deepened when he the image of someone else, someone straight out of his dreams that always made his heart beat faster whenever he saw her pearlescent hair flowing in the breeze and her sweet, gentle voice every time she appeared in his mind, "B-Because..."

"You like someone else?"

"N-No."

"Ah, youth these days..." Mao laughed and turned to grab the metal box and chuckled, this time more lightly, "Alright... I have to go home and check on Tao and Mei. I may have to come back later tonight, but I have to wait for Benjiro to get home so we can switch gears and chores. He the dishes, me the business."

"Need help with the girls? I can babysit. I don't have plans and that way Benjiro-san can help you finish sooner." Mamoru blinked when he saw Mao walking toward him and patted his cheek gently, "You are a sweetheart. But it's fine, don't worry. I can handle it."

"Really, I can he—lp," His blue eyes widened when Mao squeezed his cheeks, forcing his lips to pout. She cracked a hearty laugh, "Go. Make some plans... be a teen your age, have fun." She laughed again, "As much as Mei begs for you to go and play with them, I know you need to have a life, it's not healthy for you to be just working or taking care of kids."

"It's not a problem for me, I used to do it all the time at the orphanage,"

"Well, you are not at the orphanage anymore, Mamoru." Mao went to put on her coat and chuckled, "Trust me, I will need your help soon enough because you truly are a wizard with children, but not today." Mao waved her hand at him and walked out of her office, leaving the teen with not much option but to convey her boss' wishes and turned the lights off before closing the office and go out to do something else with his time.

Mamoru had acquired the habit of going out for a run, do some yoga and stretching exercises as a way to de-stress, something Hatsuko had recommended during their long therapy sessions back at the orphanage to keep his mind focused and his mood gloom or anger free and it worked for him, much to his surprise, so he continued doing it until it became a natural part of his daily routine that had followed him now that he lived on his own. His day would normally start by waking up at five in the morning and go out for a run at the nearest park that had a circuit for joggers—another good thing he had found in Minato-ku, but since he started working extra shifts at the store and had started meeting more often with Chieko, he had to make a few arrangements with his schedule and run whenever and wherever he had the chance.

As he walked out of the store's warehouse ready for his nightly run, Mamoru stopped to zip the somewhat new but not very fashionable jacket he had bought in a thrift store. He admitted it wasn't the best of jackets; for starters, it wasn't made to work out with it, it didn't fit him well either as it was also a little too big for him. It looked terribly outdated and it had the saddest green color anyone would ever choose to put on a piece of clothing but it was warm enough to help him survive the sudden changes of weather and it was all he could afford the minute he got his first official paycheck. Mamoru was proud of his ugly green jacket, it was the first of many things he was slowly but surely acquiring with his effort and dedication and that's all he cared about.

"Hey there, Mamoru-kun,"

Mamoru stopped trying to make his zipper work and turned to see Keiko, the daughter of the store's meat supplier walking toward the store's warehouse. He met her one of those days he was asked by Mao to pick up some merchandise very early in the morning and she happened to go in her father's place that day because he had to meet another potential customer. Keiko was a cute girl, she was a year or two older than Mamoru—she never revealed it although her uniform completely gave it away. She had short black hair, big brown colored eyes and the sweetest of smiles; she was a quirky girl with a good taste in books and music, in fact, that was how they clicked and started talking outside working hours allowing their friendship blossom almost organically and almost instantly. It was clear Keiko had a good, comfortable life; she helped her father with the business that was steadily growing and since she had lost her mother when she was very little, she understood what it was like to miss a parent and have to grow up faster than an average kid.

Keiko and Mamoru had started talking more often and since her father's business and the store where Mamoru worked were fairly close to each other, they met regularly to eat something during their lunch breaks and have the longest talks about books, social topics, and music.

"Oh, hey, Keiko,"

Keiko smiled as she walked closer to him, "You okay? You look like you're dealing with something there."

Mamoru looked down at his crooked zipper and chuckled, "Ah, this... yeah—it's kind of a pain to close, sometimes it cooperates and sometimes it doesn't but what can you expect from an old jacket?" Keiko saw the problem and started to pull the zipper down while chuckling, "Let me help you with that," she bit her lip as she tried to straighten the metal zipper clasp "Don't underestimate the power of vintage clothing,"

"I wasn't really buying vintage, I was just cold... and this was all I could afford," Mamoru scratched the back of his head and let out a soft chuckle, "Oh hey, I started reading that utopian book you lent me the other day—it's _good._ I'm currently in chapter seven,"

"Right?!" Keiko smiled widely, "I knew you were going to like it, I mean, I know it's a little complex and this Casanova historian-guy has some crazy ideas that are a little out there but he has an interesting take on—"

A soft cough caught both Mamoru and Keiko's attention and turned to a slightly annoyed Chieko standing a couple of feet away from them. Keiko blinked a little surprised but immediately interpreted the hostile glare the girl was giving her. She could easily tell what was going on and took it as a common sign when there was more than just one girl crushing over the same guy. They would quickly become competitive, hostile, or very sleazy but Keiko wasn't like that, she actually enjoyed Mamoru's company and while she did have a crush on him because he was quite the handsome guy and impressively smart, she preferred to have his friendship rather than a romantic relationship mostly because she believed in platonic love and that was what Mamoru was for her—platonic. She didn't know much about Mamoru's life, he never mentioned anything beyond his current living situation and that was fine with her. They had so many things in common and they had so much fun whenever they met that to her that was more than enough, a posture completely opposite to the girl standing close to them who had her eyes and attention fixed on Mamoru as he owned her some sort of explanation.

Keiko stepped back once she fixed the zipper on his jacket and smiled at Mamoru, completely ignoring Chieko's jealous' glare, "Let me know when you get to chapter ten, that's when things get _really_ interesting—I am telling you, Cosmic Monarchy exists... at least in our minds."

"I'll let you know my take on that," Mamoru smiled and nodded, "Thanks a lot, Keiko,"

"See you later Mamoru," Keiko patted his arm and walked past Chieko with a soft smile on her face "All yours, sweetheart."

Chieko frowned at Keiko's sarcastic comment and muttered something inaudible as she watched Keiko get lost in the multitude on the streets, then turned to Mamoru, trying to sound as cool as always, "Hey, you,"

"Hey Chieko," Mamoru shook his head, clearly surprised to see her there, "What are you doing here? I thought you had a thing with your friends,"

Chieko tilted her head and sighed, "Yeah, I did but I got free early... plus, you're my friend too, aren't you?" She frowned, "Where are you going?" Mamoru smiled softly, "Oh, I was about to go take a run,"

"This late? Don't you that in the morning?"

"Normally I would, but things at the store have been a little crazy lately, so I pretty much work out whenever there's a chance,"

"Huh," Chieko pursed her lips, "I was thinking of stealing you away for the evening, there's going to be a local film festival at the Mori Garden, I saw the ad this morning," she smiled, "They will be giving free snacks and drinks, I thought it would be fun and make a night out of it, what do you say? Interested?"

"Oh, sure... that sounds like fun," Mamoru smiled, quickly remembering his previous conversation with Mao, "But, I will have to go home soon after it's over if that's okay with you."

"Ah, sure," Chieko nodded and walked along with Mamoru down the sidewalk and waited at the corner for the light to turn red so they could cross the street. Chieko turned to look at the cars passing by and pursed her lips for a moment, "Do you have a deadline to read that book or what?"

"What book? Oh... that," Mamoru frowned and turned to Chieko with a small smile, "No, not at all. It's just that I haven't been able to study lately—my neighbors... they party a lot."

"It's summer, why are you studying?" Chieko frowned, "You should be having fun, summer is all about having fun!"

"Summer is almost over,"

"So? Why ruin what's left of it with boring study sessions?"

"I like to study..." Mamoru noticed there was something in Chieko's voice that made him feel a little uneasy, "Chieko, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chieko nodded without looking back at him; Mamoru arched his brow "You sure?"

"Yeah, peachy..." Chieko pursed her lips and let out a sigh of pure exasperation, "I just don't get why you're so close to that girl—I mean, you practically just met her,"

"She's a friend, I met her a couple of weeks ago," Mamoru put his hands inside his jacket's pockets and started to walk the minute the light turned green for them, "We get along pretty well, she's cool and we have a lot of things in common,"

"Huh,"

"What?"

"Nothing..." Chieko turned to a boutiques' apparel and pouted her lips, "You have more things in common with her than you have with me then." Mamoru chuckled and stopped next to her, "That's different, she likes books as much as I do, music too—we're just friends."

"Well you spend a whole lot of time with someone that's just your _friend_ ," Chieko frowned and turned to Mamoru who was giving her a confused look, "Chieko, I spend a lot of time with you too. There is not a single day we don't meet somewhere and hang out,"

"That's... different,"

"What is?"

"Ugh," Chieko let out a puff of air with annoyance, "Nothing, never mind,"

"Chieko?" Mamoru started to notice a hostile vibe coming from Chieko whenever she saw him talking to Keiko, "What is the matter? Why are you so upset? Is it because she—" Chieko turned to Mamoru with an angry glare, "—I don't want you to date her!"

"W-What?!" Mamoru widened his blue eyes with surprise; Chieko crossed her arms, "I don't want you to date that Keiko girl,"

Mamoru frowned clearly confused by what was going on, "I am _not_ dating Keiko—I told you, we're just friends."

"It doesn't look like you are _just_ friends, she clearly has a crush on you—it's so obvious,"

"Chieko, why do you care so much? Weren't you dating this Noshima guy?" Mamoru shook his head confused, "I thought that's who you were supposed to meet tonight..."

"Yes—no..." Chieko turned to look away, "I-I'm not dating him... anymore."

"How come?" Mamoru frowned and put his hands inside his pockets in a casual manner, "I thought you liked the guy."

"I like you, okay?!" Chieko turned to look at Mamoru with her cheeks flushed like two giant beets, "I like _you_ , Mamoru!" Mamoru widened his eyes twice their size with shock, now, this was something he was not expecting at all and especially from a girl like Chieko, "W-What?"

"You heard me,"

"Y-You... like me?"

"Yes!" Chieko stomped the chunky heel of her boot on the ground several times in an erratic but adorable tantrum that was catching the people passing by, "Yes, yes, I like _you_!"

Mamoru felt his throat go dry, this was a first and a completely new world for him and he didn't know what to say or how to act in response and he never in a million years would think that he would provoke this kind of feelings in someone like Chieko. Mamoru wasn't blind, he was a teenager after all, and he appreciated beauty whenever he saw it and Chieko was a beautiful girl, but he never thought of the possibility of her having any sorts of feelings for him since they always called themselves friends and she constantly talked about a guy who she had a crush on and had been trying to date for a while, not to mention their different lifestyles and likings.

"Uh... Chieko... I really don't know what..." Mamoru scratched his head nervously, "...I don't know what to say," Chieko sighed, "You don't have to say anything Mamoru,"

"I feel like I should..."

"Well, you don't,"

"What happened?" Mamoru still tried to understand Chieko's sudden change of heart. Chieko pursed her lips and shrugged one shoulder, "I don't know... I liked him, we went out a couple of times, but... I don't know... he's not you, I have more fun with you." At her blunt confession, Mamoru blushed and looked away, feeling completely embarrassed "Ah..."

"Look, I don't want things to become weird between us," Chieko waved her hands in a desperate and failed attempt of sound like she didn't care but she had a pride and image to protect and truth was that she cared, and very much. "Don't mind it," she turned to walk away, "Let's just go to this event, okay? Forget about what I just said,"

"Chieko..." Mamoru pulled her sleeve to stop her but he didn't really know what to say, he was too shocked to come up with something that would validate whatever he felt. It was strange, to know there was someone interested in him; it was strange that there was someone like her caring for him in that certain way. Chieko turned and smiled at him to try to release the tension in the air, "Come on, we're going to be late and I want to see what kind of snacks they'll be giving away, we might even be able to sneak our way to get some sake,"

Mamoru appreciated Chieko's gesture of not pressuring him to give her some sort of answer while he clearly tried to understand what was going on and why of all people, she had suddenly got an interest in him. Without saying anything else, Chieko pulled his arm and lead the way to the park and started talking like if nothing had happened, confusing Mamoru even more. As they walked into the park's area where the event was going to be held; they went to take a look at the variety of street food they had available for the guests and managed to snatch a few *takoyaki and like she promised, with her charm and flirtatious nature she convinced one of the event guys to get them some sake and went to find a good spot to watch the screening. They sat on a hill with a good view at a small pond on their left, it was close enough to be able to enjoy the movies but far enough to give them privacy and talk without hushing and bothering others.

Chieko had finished her small cup of warm sake and even dared to steal a few sips of Mamoru's drink, "Ah, this is good, no wonder why daddy likes to drink sake at dinner parties,"

"It's good—a little too strong for me... but good." Mamoru looked down at his cup and frowned "It has a sweet hint... but it turns bitter afterward," he turned to Chieko, "I am very surprised you convinced that guy to give you alcohol for free..."

"It's called charm, Mamoru." Chieko leaned her weight on her arms as she lay on the grass, "You can use it to get _a lot_ of things," she turned to look at him and gave him a much more relaxed smile; her cheeks had a pink flush indicating the sake had worked its charm on her and giving her more confidence to speak her mind more than what she already had. "You know? You could use it a little more to your advantage," she waved her hand around him, "All this... is going to waste,"

"What?"

"Your looks—that undeniable charm you have,"

"Uh..." Mamoru blushed and turned to look away, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

Chieko chuckled, "What? Don't tell me you don't know..."

"Know what?" Mamoru turned to look at her surprised; Chieko smiled "That you are a hunk." This time, it was Mamoru's turn to crack a laugh, "Please..."

"What?" Chieko widened her eyes "You totally are!" A smile graced her face and leaned closer to him "You're a hunk, Mamoru—a very special one. Sorry to break it out to you,"

"Chieko, are you drunk?" Mamoru frowned, Chieko shrugged her shoulders "I don't know—maybe. I have never been drunk before, so this could be it." She chuckled, "You are so cute, look at you, all worried about me,"

"Well yes, I get worried..." Mamoru looked at the movie ahead that had started without them really paying much attention to know what it was about, "I can't let you go home like this,"

"Well don't." Chieko smiled widely when she saw Mamoru looking at her with wide eyes, "Look after me, Mamoru,"

"Chieko..." Mamoru sighed softly, "Why did you say that?"

"I told you..." Chieko looked at him with a mischievous gleam in her green eyes, "You're a hunk,"

"No, not that—" Mamoru closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to keep her from diverting the subject, "The other thing... why me?" Chieko's smile slowly faded and turned to look ahead, "Remember when I told you our parents kind of expected us to be something in the future?"

"Yes..."

"Well, at seven years old you don't really think about that stuff." Chieko frowned softly, "I know I stopped visiting you out of the blue at the orphanage but it's just that... that place was too depressing, you know? It wasn't a nice place to live—you didn't belong there. We became friends back then, even when you couldn't remember me but I don't know... it's nothing to the kind of friendship we have now. When I saw you that day at the store, I kind of had a feeling that things were going to be different this time and the more time we have spent together, the more I come around the idea that our parents weren't that crazy for wanting us to be together. It makes sense..." Chieko turned to Mamoru and shrugged her shoulder, "I know, we've been going out for almost two months as friends but... it feels different, you know?" She sighed, "Plus I really don't think you and that Keiko girl make a nice couple—she's weird."

Mamoru chuckled, "You have told me in the past that I'm weird,"

"Yeah, you are, but you're also a hunk and that blurs off everything else." Chieko blushed with a smile, "Your looks balance out your weirdness," she pulled herself back up and moved closer to Mamoru. Sometimes, her aggressive and up-front nature took him by surprise, admitting to himself he was completely new to this flirting game he didn't really know how to handle; it didn't make him feel uncomfortable but he didn't know what to do either. It was the first time something like this happened to him, a girl, looking at him the way Chieko did, but then, out of the blue, the echo of his dream with the girl of hair of moonbeam flashed in his mind for a fraction of a second.

 _"...Find me..."_

Chieko noticed Mamoru had gone silent for a little too long and chuckled nervously, "I think me telling you this has left you a little startled,"

Mamoru turned to look at her and shook his head, "Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah..."

"You sure?"

"Yeah..." Mamoru rubbed the back of his head and sighed softly, "I was... I remembered something, that's all." Chieko frowned, "What did you remember? Something from your past?"

"No... not really," Mamoru smiled, "It's something silly, don't pay mind,"

"If it's something that steals your thoughts while I am here pouring out my feelings for you, it has to be important, right?" She smiled and nudged his arm, "Come on, tell me,"

"Well," Mamoru sighed softly, "Ever since I woke up that day at the hospital... I've been having this strange dream and I always felt like a part of me has been missing, like a missing piece of a puzzle."

"And what is about—that dream?"

"A girl, asking me to find her."

"Oh?"

"Oh, come on..." Mamoru chuckled, "It's not like that..." Chieko crossed her arms and arched her brow jealously, "No? Then how?"

"I don't know—I can't see her face, I am never able to see her face but... there is something about her that always leaves me wondering..."

"Wait a minute," Chieko frowned, "Is this why you often said there were things you needed to find and people you needed to meet?" Chieko narrowed her green eyes, "Because if it is—then, you can totally take this as a sign as to why we're here, talking about all this, right now." Mamoru widened his eyes with surprise, "Chieko..."

"Mamoru, _do_ _you_ like me? Do you at least find me cute?" Chieko frowned, Mamoru blinked dumbfounded, here it was, that aggressive, blunt nature of hers that took him by surprise again, "Cute?"

"Yes, cute—as in pretty,"

"I think..." Mamoru blushed softly, "I think you are _very_ pretty, Chieko,"

"Ok, so, what if I'm that girl—the one you needed to find?"

"W-What?"

Chieko giggled, "I want to believe it so bad so you can stop being so stubborn and give us a chance," she saw Mamoru blush three shades of red and chuckled, "I think I am a little drunk—I don't normally am this direct with guys,"

"I can take honesty," Mamoru smiled; not sure why her words ignited some sort of hope inside him. Chieko being the girl of his dreams, it sounded too surreal to be true but she was right in one thing, why else would they be talking so comfortably about it now that they found each other years later. If this was a real interpretation of that dream, that same that had taken his anxiety and panic attacks away, the uncertainty of not knowing what to do or where to go, he had to go for it. Chieko was like he said, very pretty and she knew him. They went way back in time and it felt like they could make something special out of this if given the chance. Chieko looked at him and smiled when she felt his hand on top of hers and slowly intertwined her fingers with his as she leaned closer to finally close the gap between them and give him his very first kiss.

After a short minute of this strange but new emotion and experience, their lips parted and Mamoru opened his blue eyes still a little dazed and confused. It had been intense but he couldn't put words to describe what it was, what it felt. He immediately blushed when he saw Chieko smiling at him, "See?" She leaned closer and closed her eyes again as she brushed her glossy lips with his, "Now we can really say that we're close... and not just like friends, anymore."

Mamoru felt his heart beating faster inside his chest every time her warm lips caressed his, this was his very first kiss, something that was supposed to be a real symbol of care and love. This was strange for him and at the same time it triggered so many emotions he didn't know he could feel; the fact of being with someone and to share special things had a special value in his heart because it meant there was someone in the world that wanted to be with him, he had spent seven years of his life figuring out how to live his life and free himself from the orphanage and now that he did, he felt like he was slowly getting control of his life and that for the first time in so many years, he was no longer alone.

O—o—o—o—O

Fall finally had arrived and Mamoru had started his first year as a high school student at the elite academy of Moto Azabu, and Chieko started hers at Seisen International School.

The newly bonded couple have had little time to spend together since they started school and both had serious studying to do before the first wave of entrance exams, but they would manage to meet either before or after Mamoru's shift at the store. They decided to stay quiet about their relationship for a while, meaning neither him or Chieko would not tell anyone about their summer romance, not even her father, Ikio, who already imagined she was seeing someone new by the constant flush in her cheeks that gave it away; Chieko was beyond infatuated with the dashing young man she couldn't keep it a secret for much longer.

"Mamoru-oniisan, look! look!" Little Mei gave one sloppy twirl and turned to look at Mamoru putting on his dark red apron over his work uniform. The little girl had a spark that never weakened, it was normal to see Mao's girls at the store, even on late hours. It was common whenever Mao and Benjiro had to stay and had their weekly meetings with their accountant. Mei flashed another wide grin at Mamoru and gave another twirl, "See? I can dance!"

Mamoru chuckled as he lifted a box and put it away so Mei wouldn't hurt herself while doing her little spontaneous dance routines, "Yeah, I can totally see it, Mei-chan!"

It had been another challenging day for Mamoru, he had just got out of his last class of the day and ran straight back to the store to start his night shift just in time—it was inventory night, so he had a long way to go. He didn't want to admit it, but things were a little more challenging than he expected them to be once he started his new school year; he never complained about anything but by the time he ended his shift at the store, he was beyond exhausted and all he wanted was to go back to his small studio and sleep, although, his neighbors were unforgiving with the partying and the loud music it was becoming an impossible task for him to have a good night's rest and putting into consideration that he had the lightest of sleep, this only made things worse.

Tao soon joined her little sister and while she was much calmer and quieter than Mei, she too had an energy hard to max out. She looked up at Mamoru walking to another part of the store carrying two other boxes and smiled, "Mei-chan says she wants to be a dancer when she grows up,"

Mamoru put the boxes in the back and quickly turned back to both girls, his blue eyes on Mei, "Oh wow, you do, Mei-chan?"

"Yep!" Mei grinned and opened her arms wide, "I'm gonna be a dancer! I wanna wear a fluffy dress and do this—" the little girl tried to stand on her tip-toes, "Look, look, Mamoru-oniisan! Like this!"

"I see, I see, Mei-chan," Mamoru smiled, "You want to be a ballerina, then,"

"Yep!"

"That's great! You are a great dancer," Mamoru turned to grab another box and looked at Tao, "And what about you, Tao-chan, do you want to become a ballerina too?"

"No, I wanna be a painter!"

"Oh wow," Mamoru smiled widely, "Two artists in the making! That's great!"

Both girls giggled, "Mamoru-oniisan," Tao watched him carry another box to the back of the store and come back, "Do you want to play hide and seek with us?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tao-chan," Mamoru tried to catch his breath and rubbed the back of his neck, "You know I would love to, but I can't right now, I have to work and if I leave this unfinished, your mom will get mad and we don't want that, right?"

"Tao, Mei! Time to go home! Papa's leaving!"

"Oh!" Tao turned with wide eyes to Mamoru who had a weak smile on his face, "See?"

"Mei-chan! Time to go home!" Tao quickly went to hold her little sister's hand, "Mama is calling for us, come on!" Both girls went to give Mamoru a quick hug and waved their little hands as they ran back to Mao's office, "Bye-bye, Mamoru-oniisan!"

"Bye," Mamoru smiled and waved his hand at the girls, "See you tomorrow, Mei-chan, Tao-chan."

Putting his current living situation with his neighbors, Mamoru was grateful for her boss, Mao, because she gave him enough flexibility to work around his schedule at school but the woman was strict and tough when she had to be, pretty much like a mother who had a teen child. While she had considerations with him, she also made him see there was a consequence for every decision he made. If he got late for work, if he missed one day or left early, she would discount money from his paycheck and that would affect his monthly lease and other expenses. Once alone, he started his shift by organizing the shelves of canned goods as he did every week in silence.

"Don't forget that corner over there,"

Mamoru heard a young woman's voice and turned to find Keiko standing behind him with a smile on her face, "Keiko!"

"Hey Mamoru-kun," Keiko waved her hand and helped the young man with some of the cans inside the wooden box he had beside him. It had been a while since Mamoru saw the adorable girl around the store or at her father's meat market because just like he did, she had started her senior year of high school and spent most of her time studying or doing homework.

"Here you go,"

"Thanks," Mamoru smiled softly, "How have you been? It's been a while since I last saw you,"

"I know!" Keiko nodded and helped Mamoru with the cans so Mao wouldn't scold him, or her for that matter, as long as he did his job, it wasn't a problem for her if Keiko was around to talk to him. "School has me crazy occupied, but I bet you too! My father sent me to run some errands for him and I took it as an opportunity to come and see you." She smiled softly, "How have you been?"

"You're not wrong, I have been crazy busy too," Mamoru chuckled, "I am taking the night shifts here at the store now because I have to be at seven at school,"

"Oh right! You go to Moto Azabu, right?"

"Yeah,"

"I've heard it's a very strict academy—a fancy one too. But you're very smart, I'm sure you'll do just fine," Keiko said with true admiration and smiled, "So... how is love treating you?"

Mamoru blushed and continued exchanging the old cans for new ones in the box, "What?" He peered at Keiko and frowned when he saw she was grinning widely at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because... I know you two have a thing going on. I saw you kissing in the alley the other day," Keiko chuckled, "She took you off the market way too soon, my dear Mamoru-kun, but hey—I would have done it too if have been given the chance." Mamoru blushed, "Oh... so there's no point in me trying to tell you otherwise,"

"Nope, you are busted, my friend." Keiko chuckled and handed him another can, "And that's not the only time I saw you two kissing... you guys are going at it full force, she sure must be loving all that kissing action,"

Mamoru blushed and let out a soft shy chuckle, "I don't know..."

"So, how long have you been together?"

"We've been dating for over a month now..."

"That's good Mamoru, I just hope she treats you well—you're a very cool guy," Keiko smiled softly, "I must confess you something... I kind of had a crush on you during the summer,"

"What?!" Mamoru widened his eyes with shock, proving Chieko's wasn't wrong by being jealous, "Really?"

"Yep," Keiko nodded and handed her friend another can, "But I opted not to say anything, you had a lot going on and you still do, clearly."

"Keiko..." Mamoru sighed with a little sadness, "I-I don't know what to say..."

"There's nothing to say," Keiko chuckled and shrugged her shoulders casually, "Come on Mamoru, we're friends—I didn't want to jinx that friendship. We're book buddies! You're literally the only person I can talk to about my two passions in life—music, and literature," she patted his arm, "I know our time's limited now but you know you can look for me if you need anything." Mamoru smiled, "Thank you so much, Keiko, know you can too."

"Thanks," Keiko tilted her head and blinked her brown eyes with curiosity, "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Mamoru sighed softly, "I'm just very tired—my neighbor had another party last night and I haven't been able to sleep well,"

"Another one?"

"Yes, _another_ one... like if one party a week wasn't enough," Mamoru pursed his lips, showing his annoyance on the matter; Keiko let out a puff of air, "Oh no, that's no good,"

"No, it's not," Mamoru finished arranging a shelf and carried another box to another shelf to repeat the same routine, "I'm close to starting the winter exams and I have been having little to no time to study," he sighed tiredly, "I've been staying until late here so I can study and do my homework in peace while doing inventory at the same time,"

"That is a lot to do, Mamoru-kun," Keiko said with a worried tone, "You'll get sick if you don't look out for yourself,"

"Nah, it's okay," Mamoru smiled softly and continued working, "It reflects on my paycheck," he friendly winked an eye at Keiko, "And I need the money... so..."

"And how's your girlfriend taking these long shifts of yours?" Keiko crossed her arms. Mamoru tightened his lips, "We haven't seen each other that much lately, she's been busy with exams too..." Keiko was about to say something when she spotted Chieko walking inside the store and smiled softly, "Oh, I guess someone has come to check up on you too..."

"Huh?" Mamoru looked up at Keiko with a frown and then toward Chieko's direction and widened his blue eyes. Keiko patted Mamoru's arm and smiled, "Well, I better get going—it was nice seeing you, Mamoru-kun,"

"You too, Keiko," Mamoru smiled warmly "Don't be a stranger, Mao says she's going to bake another pie this week, you better stick around."

Keiko laughed, "Oh really? Well then, I'm down for it. I'll be here, I promise." The girl turned on her heel and walked away without saying anything to Chieko, whom, she was aware was not too happy with the friendship she had with her boyfriend.

"Chieko," Mamoru smiled at her but the girl didn't greet him as warmly as he did, "Hey,"

Mamoru noticed the lack of excitement in Chieko and frowned with worry, "Are you alright?" Chieko looked at him and then turned away with a sigh, "Yes, I just had a rough day—so, what was _she_ doing here?"

"She was doing a favor for her father and stopped by to say hi—why?" Mamoru said nonchalantly and continued doing his job. Chieko turned with a frown "Well if she's so busy running errands for her father why was she here chatting so casually with you?" Mamoru placed another can on the shelf and frowned, "Because it's been a while since we last saw each other—"

"Since you started dating me," Chieko interrupted him with a bitter tone in her voice, one Mamoru picked up immediately and made him stop what he was doing and turn to look at her with a frown, "Chieko, are you mad at me or something?"

"I just don't see why she has to be here with you," Chieko crossed her arms, "If she's so busy..."

"Chieko, Keiko is my friend, you need to trust me," Mamoru bent to grab the empty wooden box and walked back to the storage to get another box with new items when he saw Chieko storming behind him, "I do trust you, but still, I think she should know _you_ have a _girlfriend_ now, she can't just come to see you whenever she feels like it!"

Mamoru gave Chieko a stern glance, "She knows,"

"What?"

"She knows," Mamoru frowned, "Keiko knows you're my girlfriend."

Chieko blinked and blushed, "S-She does? You told her?"

"She has seen us kissing several times," Mamoru sighed, "Chieko—you know I don't have many friends... I don't go to school to socialize, she's been a good friend to me since I started living on my own, there's nothing going on between us. You can't be jealous."

"But you have _me_ now!" Chieko frowned, "You _don't_ need her!" This reaction from her was taking him by surprise, Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "Chieko... are you asking me to stop talking to her?"

"I'm just saying you don't need another girlfriend when you already have me—" Chieko moved closer and ran her arms around Mamoru's neck before leaning closer, "I can be both, your friend _and_ girlfriend,"

"I won't stop talking to Keiko, Chieko, I'm sorry..." Mamoru gave his girlfriend a stern look, the first one since they started hanging out and took Chieko off guard, "Why not?" Mamoru sighed and quickly widened his eyes when he spotted Mao standing by the door with a glare that could freeze anyone, "Mamoru, I need you to take care of the cashier again, Ita-san is not feeling very well,"

"Yes, Mao-san," Mamoru pulled back and cleared his throat before walking out of the room, "Right away."

Mao nodded and turned her glare to Chieko who stood there like nothing had happened and arched a brow, "So, you're the girl that's been visiting Mamoru lately,"

"I'm his girlfriend," Chieko crossed her arms. There was something in the girl's attitude that stirred a non-pleasant feeling in Mao, she was defiant—clearly spoiled; she didn't show signs that she knew how to respect people's boundaries and personal spaces, she acted like she had a right to be there and like she had a right to see Mamoru whenever she wanted and Mao, being a woman who appreciated her workers as family wasn't taking it very well. "You may be his girlfriend, but I am his _boss,_ and you are visiting him in business hours. If you want to see Mamoru, meet him after he's done with his shift."

Chieko pursed her lips in anger and with a huff; she stormed out of the storage room and store without saying a single word to Mamoru, who was busy assisting a customer at the cashier and didn't even see when Chieko passed by. Mao walked back to the front and leaned on a shelf while paying close attention to the young man trying his best to do a good job and she couldn't help feeling bad for him; he clearly didn't have an idea of what the hell was going on and she felt she was running out of time to teach him to protect himself from getting hurt. Mao could see so much of her in Mamoru and that's what made her feel a little more overprotective over him because she knew the consequences of being emotionally exhausted and she didn't want that for the young man, if she could spare more suffering to another clueless, orphan child like she once was many years ago, she had to do it in any way that she could.

O—o—O

After six long hours, Mamoru was finally doing the cash closing of the day and closed the front doors of the store before he turned down all the lights and walked back to the warehouse. He was always the last one to leave and the first one to arrive when he had to take the early shift with the exception of those times he had to spend the night at Mao and her husband's place to babysit little Tao and Mei while she went out with her husband.

Mao had offered him to stay at her house with her family many times but Mamoru had turned down her offer one too many times with the excuse of how he didn't want to feel like he was taking advantage of her goodwill so she just preferred to respect his wishes, knowing exactly how it felt to want to be in control of your own life. Days after, Mao gave him a copy of the store keys with the excuse he had to stay to do some inventory but in reality, she knew he was having a hard time to concentrate and do his homework because his neighbors were the noisy and uncomfortable kind; she knew he was going to take advantage of the space to study and sleep on the small couch in her office and she was okay with that, as long as he had some well-deserved rest.

It was one of those days Mamoru felt like he could fall asleep practically anywhere, he was beyond exhausted and he even considered spending the night in Mao's office and make use of that small couch again; his legs felt like they had weights tied on them as he dragged himself to the back of the warehouse to get his school bag, another gem he had found at the thrift store from around the corner. Mamoru widened his eyes when he saw Mao sitting behind her desk working on the inventory herself and looked at him standing like a zombie by the door, but before he could ask her what was she doing there when it was his turn to take care of the lists, she answered in her usual motherly tone, "Benjiro got home early from work, he's putting the girls to sleep this time," she looked down at her notebook and typed some numbers on her calculator.

"Ah," Mamoru mumbled and scratched the back of his head lazily, "Oh, okay, did you find a sitter to look out for Tao-chan and Mei-chan for tomorrow evening?"

"Not yet," Mao sighed softly, "They pretty much give up with Mei—she's too energetic for almost every sitter I've hired," the woman stopped typing and looked up at Mamoru with a quirked brow, "And she keeps asking for her Mamoru-oniisan. For some amazing reason, you are the only one that can calm her down,"

"Ah, Mei-chan..." Mamoru chuckled, "She's not that mischievous,"

"Go tell Benjiro that because he's about to have a mental breakdown because Mei doesn't want to go to bed, all she wants to do is—"

"—Dance, I know. She told me she wants to be a dancer and she sure has the energy for it," Mamoru let out another chuckle, but this time, Mao noticed the heavy drag at the end, showing he was on the verge of falling asleep. "Have you eaten, Mamoru?"

"Uh, yeah..." Mamoru spotted his school bag next to Mao's desk and walked over there to get it. Mao continued doing her work but her attention was on the young man who was doing his best not to drag his feet on the floor to give away his exhausted state, "When?"

"This afternoon," Mamoru leaned down to grab his bag and turned to Mao, "Mao-san, I can finish the inv—" his eyes widened again when he saw that intense glance of hers on him again, the freezing kind, "Sit,"

"I'm okay..."

"Sit,"

Mamoru went to take the chair across from Mao and sighed softly, "Mao-san, before you say anything I want to apologize for—"

"That girl, is she really your girlfriend?" Mao didn't change the look on her face; Mamoru nodded slowly, not sure what to expect from Mao this time. "Yes... but I promise—" his eyes widened when he saw Mao raised her hand to interrupt him, "I don't mind having you a girlfriend Mamoru, I mind you doing your job—I care about your well-being," she frowned, "I have tried my best to keep this place drama-free and I plan on keeping that policy intact, so please, whatever problems you have with that girl, deal with them somewhere else."

Mamoru nodded, feeling completely embarrassed, "I will, Mao-san, again, I apologize."

Mao looked at him and raised a brow, "How long have you been going out with her?"

"A little over a month—" Mamoru leaned back in his chair, "Almost two,"

"Ah," Mao put her pen down and crossed her hands over her desk to give the young man her full attention, "Is that man's daughter... Shimuta-san, the one that checked on you while you were at the orphanage and days before you moved out from that place, right?"

"Yes,"

"So, she's a rich girl,"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "You could say that," he frowned "Why?"

"Nothing," Mao shook her head, "It makes sense now, why she's like that."

"How?"

Mao sighed, "Mamoru, listen to me—I am not going to tell you what to do, you are old enough to understand that for every action you do, there is a consequence and that now, you're on your own. You do not give accounts to anyone other than yourself but every little thing you have done since you stepped foot out of the orphanage is going to be reflected in your future."

"Mao-san?" Mamoru frowned confused; Mao leaned forward with a worried look in her eyes, "You are in that stage of your life when you have tasted what freedom is like... be careful Mamoru." She narrowed her brown eyes, "The real world is a scary place and not everyone is kind. Not everyone lends a hand expecting nothing in return—not everyone is trustworthy. Not everyone is like you." Mao saw the shock in Mamoru's blue eyes and couldn't help to feel touched by his innocence. She stood from her chair and walked around her desk to sit in the vacant chair next to the young man and held his hands, "Mamoru... I have been where you are, and it's because of it, that I am now having this conversation with you." She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his deep blue eyes, "I don't want you to stay here forever—I want to see you find your own success. I want to see you live a happy and fulfilled life because you deserve it but you won't be able to do it if you put your trust in everyone's hands. You need to start being more selective with who you want in your life... you need to be smart and plan the life you want to live once you become an adult. Thicken your skin, boy, or the world will eat you alive."

Mamoru frowned, "Are you telling me all this just because I have a girlfriend?"

"I am telling you all this because that's how things work, Mamoru. This is how life works." Mao chuckled and patted Mamoru's cheek motherly, "Oh dear, you are such a sweetheart—" she looked down and placed a hand on his chest, right where his heart was beating steadily, "You have a heart of gold," she looked up at him and smiled softly, "And when the time comes, you need to find that person that will take care of it like the most sacred of treasures,"

"You don't like her, right, Mao-san?" Mamoru blinked, Mao tilted her head and flicked a piece of his dark hair away from his face, "I don't believe she is that person, no. I don't think she's the one. I don't think she'll take care of your precious heart." She sighed and leaned back, "But that is my humble opinion, your life is that, yours. Just keep that in mind and don't lose focus on your main goal,"

"She's not a bad person," Mamoru smiled softly, "I know she's a little spoiled... but, she's not a bad person..."

"I see..." Mao sighed, "Do you love this girl?"

Mamoru widened his eyes, "W-What?"

"Do you love her?" Mao tilted her head, "You say you have been a couple for some time now and you went out long enough before you started dating, that gives you enough time to come up with this realization. Do you love her?"

"I-I don't know..." Mamoru frowned, "Mao-san, I'm fifteen..."

"So?"

"I don't know," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "Shouldn't I be older to understand such thing?"

"If you say you should be older to understand love then why are you in a romantic relationship in the first place?" Mao arched her brow and noticed Mamoru was having a hard time trying to come up with a good answer, "Love manifests at any age, Mamoru, and you're old enough to understand what it is. I met my husband when I was fourteen..." she smiled, then narrowed her eyes, "How do you feel when you are with this girl?"

"Like I am not alone," Mamoru looked at Mao with confidence in his words, "It feels nice to know there is someone there for me,"

"Is she really there for you?"

"I like to believe she is," Mamoru leaned back in his chair and saw Mao bit her lower lip and shake her head, "Then, you're not in love,"

"Why does it matter?" Mamoru frowned slightly annoyed, Mao chuckled, "It does matter... you'll understand it when you get there,"

"Maybe that love thing will come with time, maybe this is what it is supposed to be," Mamoru mumbled and looked away with a frown, "Besides, how can you tell it's not love?"

"Love is a powerful thing, Mamoru," Mao sighed, "It makes you feel helpless, it weakens your knees, it makes your heart beat faster, it clouds your reason and mind," Mao stopped when Mamoru turned to look at her with a quizzical brow raised, "And I want to feel like that because...?"

Mao chuckled, "Because as crazy as it sounds, it makes you feel complete—it makes you feel alive."

"Yeah, okay," Mamoru chuckled sardonically and shook his head, "If you say so..."

"You keep laughing young man, but it's the truth." Mao laughed and patted his shoulder, "Go home already and eat something," she ruffled his dark hair playfully, "Do you even have food in your fridge?"

"Yes..." Mamoru rubbed the back of his neck and went to grab his bag. Mao sighed and walked out of the warehouse only to return a couple of minutes later with a wicker basket and handed it to Mamoru, "Here,"

Mamoru widened his eyes when he saw it was fully stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, a bag of rice, tofu, soybeans, eggs, sugar, a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, one of orange juice, and three thick packages wrapped in paper and plastic, "M-Mao-san..."

"There's meat in there, put in the fridge as soon as you get home," Mao looked at him and snapped her fingers, "Ah, I forgot to put something in there... wait here," she turned and put a mug and a bag of dark freshly ground coffee inside the basket, "I've noticed you have been acquiring the habit of drinking black coffee..."

"Y-Yes..." Mamoru felt a knot in his throat and averted his tear-glossed gaze from Mao's, "Mao-san... I—"

"The meat Mamoru—" Mao interrupted him, "It's going to spoil if you don't put in in the fridge, now go, I'll close."

Mamoru swallowed the huge lump in his throat and finally armed himself with enough courage to look at the woman in the eye, "Thank you, Mao-san," the young man bowed his head in deep respect and gratitude for the woman's kind gesture and walked out of the warehouse still with tears pooling in his eyes. For the last couple of days, Mamoru had been surviving out of potatoes and bread, which, he had the last slice that morning. With a content sigh, he was heading toward his small room thinking what he could make himself for dinner when he saw Chieko standing outside and still wearing her uniform, "Chieko... what—"

Without any notice, Chieko balanced over him and kissed him on the lips for a minute and pulled back, "Hi,"

"Hi..." Mamoru blinked a little dumbfounded by the girl's sudden gesture, "W-What are you doing here at this hour? It's late..."

Chieko bit her lower lip, "I was waiting for you to end your shift... we didn't have much time to finish our conversation,"

"Chieko..." Mamoru sighed softly, "I already told you, Keiko is my—"

"Friend—yes, I know." Chieko shrugged her shoulders, "It's just that... I want to be the only girl in your life... I get jealous... I don't like it when other girls look at you," Mamoru let out a soft chuckle, "Chieko, that's a little o—"

"You're mine." Chieko narrowed her eyes, Mamoru felt a little off guard by her serious statement and frowned, "What?"

"I'm joking..." Chieko noticed the change in Mamoru's stance and pouted her lips, "Wouldn't you feel the same if you saw me talking to another guy?"

"I know you are a popular girl at school and that you have many friends," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, still finding it hard to dismiss her previous comment, "I have no reason to be jealous. I trust you."

Chieko knew she had to do something to erase that bitter comment from his mind so she walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck again not really minding the heavy basket he was carrying in one hand and his backpack with the other, "You are a different species, Chiba Mamoru—I like that." She leaned closer and kissed him wholeheartedly; Mamoru closed his eyes and slowly responded to the deep kiss, it was good, clearly proving that Chieko knew what she was doing and that she wanted more from him, something he was almost willing to give right about that moment, "Take me with you, Mamoru," she whispered in his ear, "Take me home with you..."

"Chieko..."

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find me..."_

Mamoru heard the soft melodic voice of that mysterious girl and quickly opened his eyes and pulled back, ending the kiss that had just started to become something else, something more than just a flirty kiss. It was almost as if she was trying to tell him more than just a simple request and he felt uneasy, like he was being unfaithful to her for some strange reason—it didn't feel right. He pulled back even further and pressed his lips together, trying to put his feelings and thoughts back in order and making him realize what was going to happen if he hadn't stopped. It's not that he didn't like the way Chieko claimed his lips as hers but it might be the way how she stole the kisses from him and how she was possessive of him most of the time. He admitted she was always ahead of him when it came to showing signs of affection and while it didn't bother him most of the time, he liked to take things a little slower than she did, he was waiting for that romance and Chieko already wanted something more. It wasn't the first time Chieko tried to take things to a more intimate level but there was always something in Mamoru that made him stop. He was affectionate, he did hold her hand constantly and he did kiss her but Chieko was a demanding girl and she demanded more from him with every passing day and as her boyfriend, he felt like he had to comply, because after all he wasn't alone, she was there for him—right?

"Mamoru? What's wrong?" Chieko blinked a little dumbfounded by his sudden mood change; Mamoru took a deep breath and looked at her in the eye, "Your father will get upset if you don't go home soon..." he cleared his throat and saw Chieko tightening her arms around his neck again without a care in the world, "He's away for work..."

"Well... your mother will get worried,"

"She has guests... she's hosting this dinner party for some charity, she probably thinks I am in my room sleeping," Chieko smiled with mischief, "Don't worry so much, Mamoru, I know what I am doing. Everything's covered."

"Chieko..." Mamoru tried to pull back to no avail, "W-We can't,"

Chieko frowned, "Why not? Nobody will notice if—"

"It's late for you to be walking around this late at night on your own," Mamoru fidgeted the weight of the basket and his bag, "Come on, I'll walk you home..."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Mamoru looked at her confused; Chieko closed her eyes and moved back, "Why don't you want me?"

"Chieko..."

"Why don't you want me, Mamoru?" Chieko looked up at him, angry, frustrated, puzzled—and everything in between. She couldn't understand why he hadn't succumbed to her the way she always made guys succumb to her. It was a totally different situation—a different challenge. Chiba Mamoru was an enigma and she wants to solve the mad puzzle he represented. She wanted to have him, she wanted him to be completely hers.

"It's..." Mamoru took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "It's too soon... I can't-"

Chieko sighed and moved back, thinking this was going to need more time than expected. She pointed the large basket and looked at him, "What's that?"

"Groceries," Mamoru smiled softly, feeling a little less anxious for the change of mood, "Mao-san gave me this basket full of goods. I need to take this back to my place, do you mind?"

"No..." Chieko's face stiffened when she thought about the woman and secure her arm around Mamoru's as they walked back to his place "Mao is your boss, right?"

"Yeah,"

"She is rude,"

Mamoru chuckled, "She is a little rough around the edges but once you get to know her, she's very kind."

"Hmm," Chieko was really surprised to find his apartment was very close to the store and got even more surprised when they starting walking down an alley and into a small building of questionable conditions, according to her standards. For starters, Chieko never imagined Mamoru lived in an alley, when he talked about his place she imagined he was settled in a nice apartment, in a nice building, in a nice neighborhood but as soon as they walked inside, Chieko looked around and pursed her lips when she saw it was nothing she was expecting to see and there was no way she could dissemble her shock and disgust for the place, "This... is it?"

Mamoru put the things that needed to be refrigerated inside the small fridge and closed the door, "Huh?"

"This is where you live?"

"Yes,"

Chieko frowned and made a grimace, "But... it's just a room," she turned to look at him over her shoulder a little shocked, "The bed is right close to the fridge... there is barely any space to move in here."

"This used to be a house," Mamoru turned to put the rest of his groceries away, "But the landlord decided to rent each room separately, that's why it looks like this. There are only three rooms... so I share the building with other two people, they're around our age—three years older tops."

"So... the bathroom..."

"We share one,"

"All three of you?" Chieko widened her eyes, "Seriously?"

"It's not as bad as you make it sound, a person comes and takes care of the maintenance every day and they're decent neighbors, despite their partying lifestyle,"

"Mamoru, this is _as bad_ as I make it sound—you live in a crappy building, in the smallest room I've ever seen and share a bathroom with strangers..." Chieko shook her head with disapproval, "What the hell?!"

"It's the only thing I can afford right now, Chieko," Mamoru sighed tiredly, "I won't live here forever..."

"Right... so in the meantime, you live in a dumpster like some poor guy,"

"Excuse me?"

Chieko pursed her lips and noticed the tension in Mamoru's face and raised her hands apologetically, "I'm sorry..." she shook her head and turned around again with a much more judgmental look in her face, "It's just that... this is nothing like where you used to live... this is all—"

"My life is different now, Chieko." Mamoru put the basket on the small wooden table by the small window and frowned, "It's never going to be like that again..."

"But you have money, your parents must have left you an inheritance, no?"

"I don't have access to any of that, and I don't need it. I'm doing this by myself,"

"But-"

"Chieko..."

Chieko turned to Mamoru who was giving her a serious glance, "When I was transferred to the orphanage, I promised myself that I would leave as soon as I could and I did." He frowned, "Now that I am here, I promised I would find something better—when I say I won't live here forever, it's because it's the truth. This is just the start,"

His words were not exactly what she wanted to hear, nor his actions. Now that she put a little more thought into the matter, she realized Mamoru ever mentioned anything related to his inheritance or the money his family was known of having once. She asked her father on various random occasions and ever heard her mother talk about it with her father but none of Ikio's words mirrored what she was witnessing now. Mamoru acted like a pauper, like a poor guy and it made her upset because she knew the line of wealth where he came from. The certainty in his words and the strong look in his eyes made Chieko feel a little helpless about this whole thing but, again, she didn't want to give him up. She didn't want to let him go.

"Well, you better hurry because when _we_ live together... I want to have a nice place with a decent bathroom where I can take long baths," Chieko walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him again, "Okay?"

"When we live together?" Mamoru blinked startled, "You want us to live together?"

"You don't?" Chieko arched her brow, "Once we finish high school we can totally move in together. We will be adults... nobody can tell us what to do and you could make use of that money your parents lef—" she blinked, "What?" Mamoru frowned, "I don't want to keep talking about this,"

"Mamoru..." Chieko chuckled, "Don't be so serious... I could understand as to why you don't use that money now but once you turn eighteen you will be in complete control of your inheritance and you wi—"

"Chieko, I really don't want to talk about this..."

"Mamoru, why is—"

"No," Mamoru shook his head and let go of her, "Can you please drop this?"

"Why are you acting like this? Why is such a big deal?"

"Why is a big deal for you?"

"It's just a conversation,"

"And I am asking you to leave it as it is."

"Mamoru—"

"Drop it, Chieko." Mamoru's low tone set a new boundary that wasn't allowing Chieko to cross any further. She had never seen him upset before and it surprised her he could be this sharp and cold. Without much else to say or do, Chieko sighed, putting the topic to the side for now since this was not the best of times to go in depth with it.

"Fine—as you wish."

There were many things Chieko still couldn't understand about Mamoru, his undying need for independence was one of it, she knew that now that he was on his own, he could easily call Ikio and ask him to move his influences to give him enough money to live comfortably but he didn't. He never mentioned the money, it was almost as if it didn't exist and it intrigued her. He didn't like to talk about it and after their first confrontation a couple of weeks back, she understood she had to make use of other tactics to soften his rough character. Chieko smiled softly and went to wrap her arms around his neck again, trying to do some damage control, "Come now, let's better think on how once we graduate, we will live with no rules... just you and me, against the world,"

Mamoru sighed, "I don't think there is ever going to be someone that will tell you what to do, there is no one that can say no to you."

"That's true," Chieko chuckled, "And you are included in that list, hunk."

Mamoru pressed his lips together and held her hand. No matter how many times Chieko used that word as a compliment as she would always say, he could not get used to it. It felt cold, impersonal, and like it only valued him for how he looked like instead of who he was. He felt labeled and he didn't like to be labeled, he felt restrained and he didn't like to be restrained, not when he had known what freedom is like. With a soft sigh, Mamoru pulled her hand gently and turned to open the door, "Come on, I'll walk you home."

As the young couple walked in silence under the starry night while holding hands, Mamoru couldn't help thinking what Chieko mentioned earlier at his place. When he started going out with her, he felt a sense of companionship he never experienced before, she was smart, obviously pretty, and she always spoke her mind. It didn't take her long to make him look her way and charm him with her beauty. Little by little, Mamoru started opening his heart to the idea of sharing a life with Shimuta Chieko, and the more he thought about it, the more sense it made, it was safe—the most obvious thing for him to do, but something in the back of his mind triggered insecurity and uncertainty, something he still could not quite place but didn't feel like he was going the right way, it didn't feel natural.

He remembered when Ikio told him that he wouldn't mind if he was the one dating his daughter and wondered if Chieko had already spoken to her father about their sudden but intense relationship. The girl hadn't mentioned anything, and whenever she spoke of her parents there was always a gloomy look on her face and a distant tone in her voice.

It wasn't new for Mamoru to know that Chieko had a strained relationship with her parents, her father more than her mother, and wondered what could have happened to put such distance between them. He remembered when Ikio took Chieko with him every time he went to visit him at the orphanage and it was more than obvious that Chieko was Ikio's little girl—his little princess. She always had everything she wanted, clothes, toys, electronic devices, the latest trends in everything. She was always wearing fancy and fluffy dresses and she always talked about her father with endearment; Ikio even said it, there was nothing she wouldn't have and nothing she ever needed—she had it all. Her life was obviously full of opulence and luxury, she went to one of the best private schools in Japan and she was always looking impeccable in her burgundy uniform; she always had the fanciest of makeup, the most expensive perfumes, designer shoes, and clothes; Chieko had it all, and now, she had him and she had already started planning a life with him and he had to comply because after all, she was there for him—right?

"You know, my birthday is coming soon..." Chieko smiled and turned to look at her boyfriend, "You know what that means, right?" They continued to walk down the sidewalk and turned to Mamoru with a mischievous grin, one Mamoru immediately knew how to read, "Birthday party?"

"Yes!" Chieko exclaimed joyfully and tightened her arm around Mamoru's "It's going to be great—"

"Is it another ballerina themed party?" Mamoru arched his brow, making Chieko laugh "No! I'll be doing it at The Mandarin—they have this huge terrace with a gorgeous view, it's going to be super classy—" They finally stood outside of Chieko's fancy building but before they said goodbye Chieko leaned closer to Mamoru, "I want you to be there with me... I think it's fair, I've waited long enough for you to come."

"Uh..." Mamoru pursed his lips, "As long as you don't make me dance..."

"No, just be there and look as good as I know you can," Chieko chuckled and pulled his sleeve, "Just ditch this jacket before you get in,"

Mamoru smiled and closed the gap between their lips and pulled back seconds after, "I'll be there."

Chieko flashed him a grin with pleasure and clapped her hands with excitement and leaned to kiss him more passionately on the lips, "We'll have so much fun, and I will introduce you to my friends, it's going to be great!"

"Do they know about us?"

Chieko shrugged her shoulders, "Not all of them—just my closest ones, why?"

"No reason," Mamoru put his hands in his pockets, "Just to know what to expect,"

"Ah, they're cool—they're like us." Chieko smiled, "You belong to this circle Mamoru, whether you like it or not and I think it's time for you to embrace it,"

Mamoru sighed, "You speak of it as it was the only thing that mattered,"

"When you are part of this world, Mamoru, it is the _only_ thing that matters," Chieko arched her brow, "I will make you see why it's important. I will bring you back and make you see how much you have missed."

O—o—o—o—O

The following month, it was finally time to celebrate Shimuta Chieko's birthday party and as she promised, it was going to be grand. As expected of her, it was being held at one of the most exclusive hotels in Tokyo—The Mandarin, and it screamed expensive whenever one turned to look.

Mamoru had passed his mid-term exams with success, so he had a little more time on his hands and felt a little less stressed. He also changed his schedule at the store that gave him the perfect window to return to his routine of going for a jog at the park every morning before going to school that slowly but surely, he started feeling more like he was back on track.

Mamoru looked down at his watch as he stood outside the fancy hotel and walked inside not before being questioned by the staff what was he doing there, of course. The young man tried to look his best for the occasion wearing a long sleeve navy blue shirt and grey pants he had bought for his interviews with the Moto Azabu High School board. While he looked presentable, he knew he was far from looking as expensive and fashionable as the rest of the guests the minute he stepped foot inside the terrace where the party was being held, silently thinking that going to that thrift store was not the best place to buy clothes for these types of events. As he walked inside, Mamoru could feel the piercing glances of the guests going through him like darts; he didn't need to be told he didn't entirely fit there but if there was something Mamoru had learned over his time at the orphanage, was to ignore people's attention on him.

The young man looked around the room and could totally see Chieko's influence on every single detail on the décor. Everything was decorated in gold and shimmery fabrics, there were tables full of canapes and drinks, live music with a DJ playing in the distance, lights, a huge five-tier cake adorned with crystals he only could imagine were from a very popular and expensive brand because, that is who Shimuta Chieko was, a rich girl.

Mamoru stood in silence staring at the large crowd moving before him and silently thought this is exactly what he thought every time Chieko talked to him about her infamous birthday parties and now, eight years later, he was part of one and he already felt a little too overwhelmed by the lush experience and the very crowded place. He looked down to see the time on his watch again and let out a heavy sigh, wishing he could be invisible. He heard the whispers, the mocking glances, and words a person feeling superior to others would. He felt under a merciless microscope tearing every fiber of his being apart. Whenever he looked, there was someone studying him with inquisitive eyes and all because of his choice of clothing and that fact that he was complete no one in a room full of influential socialites and probably the richest people in Japan.

He turned to the garden ahead and just like a crashing wave, the crowd parted giving Mamoru full glance of the birthday girl wearing a two-piece golden dress standing in the middle of a group of people, all trying to catch her attention. For a sixteen-year-old, she looked very mature with her long chocolate hair styled in a long braid with tiny crystal accents; her makeup was simple, some shimmer in her lids, several coats of dark mascara to emphasize her long lashes and glossy peachy lips; it was simple and neutral, but it accentuated her pretty doll-face.

Chieko looked beautiful and she knew it. She flaunted her figure with every move she made and every gesture and the way she was smiling, it was clear proof that she loved the attention she was being given, that she was in her natural ambience—this was her world. The young group of people around her, Mamoru quickly figured were her closest friends, the ones she once said were like them, and like if his mind connected to hers, she finally turned and saw him with wide eyes "Mamoru!" she said out loud and walked toward him like the queen of the party. The satin skirt of her gown had a slit that exposed her legs with every step she took in an overly sensual dance that captivated more than one in the room, "You're here!" she looked at him with a wide smile but right when Mamoru leaned to give her a kiss she turned her face and brusquely pushed him back, "Oh, no, wait, no—" she chuckled sardonically, "What are you doing?"

"Greeting you?"

"You'll ruin my makeup,"

"Oh..." Mamoru drew back and shrugged his shoulder, a little offended, "Sorry,"

Chieko leaned closer to pinch his cheek and smiled, "Look at you..." she glanced him up and down with the same inquisitive glare everyone else was giving him, studying every single detail of his outfit and arched a brow, "A suit would have been better for the occasion but you look good, you always look good, you're _too_ cute." She said softly and let out a careless giggle.

"You look very pretty," Mamoru looked at his girlfriend paving like a peacock with every glance or congratulation given by the guests passing by, Chieko chuckled and turned to him again, "Oh, yes, I know—I had a whole team to do my hair and makeup... if I was going for a regal look, I had to do it right." She held his arm and turned to look at the crowd, "Well? What do you think?"

"Ah..."

"Impressive, right?"

"It sure _is_ something—it's very elegant," Mamoru mumbled genuinely impressed, "You have a lot of guests,"

"Yes, my parties are never meant to go unnoticed," Chieko nodded, "My parents always invite their _boring_ friends—if yours were still alive, they would totally be here." The comment felt like an ice dart in Mamoru's chest and frowned with discomfort. He wasn't sure what it was that bothered him the most, either the disinterest in her poor choice of words or the mocking tone in her voice. This was the first time Chieko would show herself as insensitive to Mamoru and it hurt him. It hurt him that she would bring up the fact that his parents are dead in a moment like this and with people he imagined once knew them.

"Excuse me?" He turned to look at her with a frown.

"Oh, you know what I mean!" Chieko smiled and pulled his arm, "Come on! I want you to meet my friends!" She headed toward the group of people Mamoru saw her talking to minutes ago and a girl with a red dress immediately welcomed her back with a glass of non-alcoholic cider, "Ah, thank you Mimi-chan," she smiled when she felt all eyes on her and her date and with the proudest and widest of smiles she pulled Mamoru close to her, "Remember I told you I had a surprise? Well, this is it, meet Mamoru—my boyfriend,"

All eyes widened and turned their attention to Mamoru and quickly studied his appearance before even answering his kind greeting and while some knew how to mask their shock, others couldn't help to turn to Chieko with a dubious look, "This is your boyfriend?" Mimi, who Mamoru later learned she was Chieko's closest friend and confidant, widened her green eyes and turned to Chieko, "R-Really?"

"Yes," Chieko held Mamoru's hand and giggled, "We've been an official couple for four months now, but we've known each other for a long time, right Mamoru?"

"Yes," Mamoru said in a casual tone, completely wanting to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of being under these people's microscope. Chieko grinned with pride, "His parents were close friends with mine but they died and we stopped seeing each other for a long time until a couple of months back—our parents always have wanted us to be together, so, this is kind of a dream come true to everyone."

There it was again, the same sting in his chest by the mention of his dead parents. Mamoru took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying his best to keep his patience at bay. It had been a long time since he was an angry person and he didn't want to go back to being one ever again but Chieko sure was sure to make it a hard task. Chieko turned to Mamoru and then to introduce her friends, "Mamoru, these are my closest friends: Gin, Mimi, Ikumi, Chiyo, Daichi, Hisao, and Sachihiro,"

"Ah, I see..." Daichi grinned at Mamoru and let out a soft chuckle, "Where are you heading after, Mamoru?"

"Excuse me?" Mamoru turned to Daichi, a young man with copper-colored hair and dark brown eyes who was looking at him with a mocking grin, "You know," the young man wearing a spotless navy-blue suit and black tie said casually, "Your clothes," he chuckled, "Looks like you have to be at some sort of church meeting afterward,"

"Daichi-kun!" Chieko chuckled and tightened her arm around Mamoru who was trying his best to ignore the other young man's mockery. Mamoru could take jokes, he was actually very lighthearted and playful but the vibe he got from Chieko's group of friends was something different; he could sense their judgmental eyes on his back and he wasn't liking it. Normally he wouldn't allow anyone to make fun of him because it cost him greatly to be able to afford what he was wearing, but it was Chieko's birthday and he had to behave and let it slide—for her sake. After all, she was there for him—right?

"So, your parents died, Mamoru?" Daichi asked senselessly. Mamoru cleared his throat with the same discomfort as before and turned to look at him, "Yes,"

"So, what's that like?" He asked again, not measuring the level of rudeness in his question, "You know, to not having anyone around?"

Mamoru felt his blood run cold in his veins and took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm. Before he could answer whatever to divert the attention from Daichi's question, another young man with ashy-blonde hair joined the conversation, "So where are you living now?"

"I live by myself,"

"What area?" Mimi asked with great interest, Mamoru turned to look at her, "Minato-ku,"

"And what school do you go to?" Another one asked. Mamoru turned to Chiyo, "Moto Azabu," he felt his throat going dry, he turned to look for a waiter but much to his luck there wasn't a single one close to ask for something to drink. Daichi widened his eyes, "Seriously? _You_ go there?"

Mamoru turned to the copper-haired man, "Yes,"

"That's like super elite," Daichi arched his brow, "So, you go there, that means you're a nerd," he flashed that grin that was starting to get on Mamoru's nerves, "No wonder why you dress like that,"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulder and listened Chieko talking to her girlfriends and frowned when he realized their conversations revolved around money, who wore what, where and who cheated on who and with whom. It was as banal and distasteful as the one Daichi and his friends were having with him and it was making Mamoru feel disgusted and annoyed and it was only eight thirty in the evening. When he finally spotted a waiter in the distance, he quickly turned to Chieko and tightened his grip on her hand, "I'll be right back,"

"Huh?" Chieko frowned, "Where are you going?"

"I am going to get myself something to drink,"

"Ah..." Chieko waved her hand and turned to continue the conversation with her friends; Mamoru felt discarded by her cold gesture, so different from what he had seen from her and he slowly let go of her hand silently hoping she would take his to plead him to stay by her side but that little wish didn't happen so he walked away without even excusing himself from the rest. Once out of the picture, Mimi was the first to break her silence and looked at her friend with awe, "Chieko-chan..."

"I know," Chieko smiled proudly and let out a long sigh, "He's _so_ yummy,"

"You bedded him yet, Chieko?"

"Daichi-kun!" Mimi widened her eyes when Daichi leaned closer to Chieko in a jealous fit, "Where did you find _that_ guy, eh, Chieko?" He turned with a mocking grin as he wrapped an arm around Gin's neck, the ashy-blonde haired guy "You got tired of your other boy-toy already? What was his name?"

"Noshima," Ikumi, a girl with long black hair joined in. Daichi chuckled "Ah, that poor bastard... he never saw it coming," he laughed, "That's the thing when you aim too high and can't meet the expectations,"

"It's nothing like that," Chieko pouted her glossy lips and turned to hunt Mamoru's whereabouts, "He's different—he's a hunk,"

"Different _how,_ exactly?" Daichi asked in the same mocking tone, "The guy can barely dress for the occasion—Chieko, he's a nerd, what the hell?!"

Chieko turned to look at him and arched a brow, "He's a polyglot,"

"Is that supposed to make a difference?" Daichi shook his head, "He's mediocre,"

"He goes to Moto Azabu," Mimi entered the conversation again, Daichi shrugged his shoulder, "That doesn't matter. He could go to _my_ school and still be a freaking loser."

"Nah, you're not smart enough for Moto, man," Sachihiro laughed, nagging Daichi even more, "He's a fucking nerd!"

"He is Chiba Natsuo's son,"

All eyes rested on Chieko, who was looking at them with a proud grin. Daichi arched his brow and shrugged his shoulder, "Yeah, so? I am Watanabe Akimasa's son,"

"Wait..." Blonde haired Gin widened his eyes and turned to Chieko with shock and pulled back, "Nooo..."

"Yes," Chieko nodded. Daichi frowned, "What?"

"Noooo, no way! Is he Chiba Mamoru? _That_ Chiba Mamoru?!"

"Ah, finally! Somebody knows!" Chieko smiled and clapped her hands, "Yes, Gin, he's _that_ Chiba Mamoru."

"Whoa!" Gin breathed and rubbed his temple, "I did not see this coming..."

"What is it Gin?" Ikumi turned to the blonde guy; Gin pointed his finger at Chieko with disbelief "That guy is the son of one of the richest men in the country—I remember my dad talking about it once..."

"What?!" All six other friends exclaimed with shock and turned to Chieko, "Seriously? _That_ guy!?"

"Yes," Chieko smiled and took a sip of her apple cider, "His parents were like super close friends with mine, we practically grew up together,"

"But, then... why is he so quiet and odd?" Chiyo, a long dark-haired girl in a purple gown asked with curiosity, "He's a little... I don't know... cold."

"He's has a weird thing for privacy and he's living this hippie life where he wants to make everything on his own—but he has the means to live a life of full luxury. He has no parents, so there is no going to be a limit on how he spends his money. Right now, he doesn't see it, but he will soon, I will make sure of it." Chieko smiled, "I mean, it's a dream to look at, I can wait until he can get a hold of his inheritance,"

"So, you bedded him already," Daichi said under his breath, Cheiko laughed, "No, Daichi, I haven't-soon though,"

"Oh, so you're really going for that plan Chieko?" Chiyo widened her eyes, Chieko chuckled, "Of course! You don't really expect me to leave that dream aside—I don't date nerds for nothing, much less hippies—but he is one yummy rich hippie alright."

"Well... no wonder why you dumped Noshima-kun," Daichi mumbled with sarcasm, "He may be one of the richest people in the world, but he looks unpolished—like a true boring nerd."

"Ah, that's no problem..." Chieko smiled, "Just give me time Daichi-kun... just give me time."

O—o—O

Mamoru came out of the restroom for what he felt the hundredth time because he constantly felt like he needed to breath and step away from the superfluous conversation Chieko's friends had going on. Chieko wasn't lying when she said her birthday parties were big, extravagant and memorable, they truly were, but they were not what Mamoru was expecting and nothing he enjoyed. It was too much of everything, too much luxury, too much extravagance, too much glitter, too much glamour and too much money spent.

Mamoru had never felt more alone; despite being in a place so full of people. He felt let down and humiliated. After his little break and went back to her and her friends, Chieko had spent most of the night ignoring his presence and going up and about around the venue talking to people Mamoru didn't know and to be honest, wasn't looking forward on knowing until he was completely pushed aside to a point she didn't even notice he wasn't there with her anymore. One minute he would see her dancing and the other she would be having conversations with guys that were probably his age or even older than her and acting like she didn't have any sort of commitment to him. Chieko was flirtatious by nature, that he knew and so far, he had trusted her, but the way she leaned on them to get their attention, the way she smiled at them or even talked to them was the same way she did when she wanted to get his attention when they started going out and it made him feel uncomfortable. Mamoru never thought of himself as a jealous person but he had kept his pride and dignity intact and now, Chieko was throwing it into the mud in just one evening.

It wasn't long before the news of him being Chiba Natsuo's son spread like wildfire and now all eyes rested on him now not only for his poor choice of clothing but now his past too. Whenever he went, he felt like a bug being burned under a magnifying glass and it was making the whole ordeal a little too much to bear because whoever dared to walk up to him, he would always get asked the same questions:

 _"What is it like to be an orphan and go from having everything to nothing?"_

" _Where do you live?"_

" _What are you planning on doing with your inheritance? Must be nice to have that kind of money at such a young age,"_

" _Poor thing, it still hurts, huh?"_

" _What is it to be alone in the world?"_

Mamoru wanted to get out of there, he wanted to disconnect himself from that world but for what he was seeing, as long as he was with Chieko, that wasn't going to be an option viable for him and it choked him. Mamoru sighed with defeat and turned to head back to the venue and to Chieko's friends when a familiar face made him stop mid-track. Ikio was talking to a group of men and smoking a cigar when something made him turn and look at the young man standing in the hallway and quickly excused himself. He headed toward him with a smile on his face, "I couldn't believe it when I was told, but, it turned out to be true—you're here for my daughter's birthday party."

"Good evening, Ikio-san," Mamoru smiled softly and shook the man's hand with respect, "I guess I shouldn't have said never—here I am now,"

"How are you Mamoru? It has been some time since we last talked. I heard you got yourself a scholarship at Moto Azabu—that is a great accomplishment for a young man, congratulations,"

"Thank you—I've been doing good," Mamoru nodded and looked at the party inside and sighed tiredly, "Are these parties always like this?"

"How?" Ikio took a sip of his champagne, Mamoru didn't divert his gaze from the people going in and out of the ballroom and terrace, "Insensitive—cold."

"Ah..." Ikio snickered with a nod, "They can be a little overwhelming, yes,"

"They know who I am... or at least who they think I am supposed to be,"

"These kinds of news spread quickly,"

Mamoru sighed and shook his head, "This isn't who I am, it is not what I want," he frowned, "Did they like all of this?"

"Who?"

"My parents..." Mamoru turned to Ikio with a query look, "If they were friends with you... does it mean they liked being surrounded by all this? Does it mean they gave the inquisitive glare to others?"

"No, your parents were nothing like this," Ikio patted the young man's shoulder "I don't very much like all this either, but my job obliges me to mingle with all kinds of people, don't take it personally," the man sighed softly, "The same happened to her—your mother. She always said she felt like a fish out of sea."

Mamoru shook his head and looked down, feeling completely overwhelmed by how people reacted to money and social status. Ikio noticed the gloom overpowering the young man's spirit and he knew the struggle he was living to meet the standards of a world he didn't feel like his own, where he clearly didn't feel he belonged to. With a soft pat on his shoulder, the man took a long puff of his cigar and let it out, "So, are you going to give me the news or should I keep pretending I know nothing about it?"

Mamoru widened his eyes and looked up, "W-What?" Ikio arched his brow, "Are you the infamous secret boyfriend or not?"

"Secret boyfriend?"

"Chieko hasn't been wanting to tell anyone about the boy she's been seeing for the last couple of months," Ikio gave Mamoru a confident smile, "But I don't know why I have a feeling that it's you. The way she describes her boyfriend, it all leads that it's you whom she's talking about."

"Yes, it's me, Ikio-san," Mamoru nodded shyly, "I know I should have come to you before I started dating your daughter—I should have asked you first if you were okay with it,"

"Why wouldn't I be okay with it?"

"Because of who I am,"

"I am glad she is finally looking in the right direction," Ikio said softly and patted Mamoru's shoulder again, "I know my daughter can be a little too complicated, but I know you can bring some sense and humility to her life and character." His smile slowly faded, "Although I already know my daughter has grown some special ideas in her head. So, please, be patient Mamoru."

Mamoru frowned, "Ikio-san?"

"As you probably know by now, Chieko and I have grown apart and it all lies with the fact that I tried to sensitize her a little too late. Her mother has more control over her and it's easier for them to have a conversation that wouldn't end in a discussion—I love my daughter dearly, but... as her father, I can't stop worrying about her." Ikio turned to find his daughter looking at them in the distance, "She's a girl that does not takes a no for an answer—her life and this party is proof of that... just, don't let it get to you and you will be fine. Stand your ground, my boy."

Mamoru looked at Ikio and then at Chieko walking towards them and felt a cold shot running down his spine as he silently deciphered Ikio's strong words. As he watched her walk toward them something inside Mamoru stirred and made him feel on the edge of something, he wasn't sure what it was but the longer he stayed, the more he was sure this was not where he belonged and the image of the girl that was there for him at first was moving further and further away from his grasp and slowly pushing him back into that same dark void of loneliness where he came from.

O—o—o—o—O

After Shimuta Chieko's birthday in November, Christmas and New Year's quickly came along with many social events Mamoru was almost obliged to assist due to his relationship with Chieko who now had become the talk in everyone's mouth much like if a spirit had returned from the dead as soon as they found out he was Chiba Natsuo's son. The very one everyone thought either had lost all of his worth, had gone missing or had died, was now part of the very selective circle of socialites. Every social gathering, every party at The Ritz, at The Mandarin, The Conrad, Chieko would bring him and presume his looks like a girl showing off a new doll and to Mamoru it was starting to become an exhausting exercise and to add to his list of dislikes, Chieko's friends were always there and they always found an opportunity to say things that would get on his nerves, Daichi more than the others, but Mamoru being Mamoru, he stayed quiet for Chieko's sake.

After all, she was there for him—right?

Over time, Chieko was starting to grow frustrated by his lifestyle and choice of living, making her own demons show through, demons that harassed her every minute and that incidentally had started to harass him too to a point he preferred to stay away and get lost for days. Chieko was angry for not getting what she wanted, she was angry because Mamoru hadn't mentioned anything about moving out of his place, leaving his mediocre job as she would often say in fits of rage and their now common discussions and also, because no matter how much she tried, he didn't sleep with her. At sixteen years old, Chieko felt her world wasn't spinning in the right direction, the world wasn't giving her what she wanted—what she was sure she deserved—and it was taking the best of her. She was not doing her best at school either, and she was having a much more strained and complicated relationship with her father and even escalated as to be distant and insensitive to her mother as well. Chieko wanted Mamoru's independence but she didn't want to sacrifice what she had for it and she was starting to get desperate because she thought Mamoru was left with enough money to give her the life she wanted, that she couldn't convert him, that she couldn't make him see why it was important and it enraged her and as a result, she started throwing that anger at Mamoru, who had his own problems to deal with and had little to no patience left for him to hang on to.

His hectic schedule at the store, the amount of homework and extra-curricular activities he had to do at school, the time he had to invest in his study, and not to mention his socialite outings just to keep things at peace with Chieko had started to take the best of him and with that, his kind-hearted, practical and almost innocent personality had become thin. Mamoru had started to distance himself from everything and everyone around him, as soon as he was done with his shift he turned around and leave the store without even asking Mao if she wanted extra help or if she needed him to babysit Tao or Mei like he always did. He was distant to her, and just went to do what he was supposed to do without saying much and without looking to be asked much to an extent he started to avoid the girls as well, taking breaks when he knew they would be there, around the time Mao's husband would go deliver something for the store or whenever they had their weekly meeting with the accountant. Keiko had been given the same distant and silent treatment as well; choosing not to be at the store when he knew she would be there helping her father. Things weren't going the way he wished they would, everything was going off track and out of control. The freedom he felt at first was gone at this point and he felt asphyxiated. At times, he wanted to just curl up in a ball and disappear. He wished to disappear. None of his ideas of living as a growing adult were coming together, he didn't feel like he was doing things right—he didn't feel right. He didn't feel like himself.

The holidays were a tough time for him because it meant he had to painfully socialize with people that only talked about the trends and gossip running around the elite circle of Japan. When he was not stuck in a dinner party at Chieko's house, he was obliged to assist with her to a party at the Ritz, or a friend's birthday celebration at The Cerulean, or a lounge party at The Palace and he was growing tired of the whole scheme that was to keep a certain image just to fit and like others and on top of that, always been treated like an accessory instead of the supposed boyfriend he was to Chieko. To Chieko's circle of friends, despite having the money she claimed he had, Mamoru was unqualified, cold, boring, a person not worthy of their attention and they made it clear at every given opportunity, and while Mamoru could deal with that because he honestly didn't care, things took much more bitter when he accidentally overheard a conversation between Chieko and Daichi, the most intolerable friend of the bunch, that also happened to have dated Chieko briefly before she set eyes on Mamoru—during the time she also seemed to have been dating Noshima.

This is when his life started to take a brutal and much darker turn. When Mamoru had started to realize Chieko hasn't truly been there for him, as he thought she was.

The more time he spent at those social gatherings, the more he clashed with Sasaki Daichi. The typical rich bully, the one that always mocked him, the one that always made a joke at his expense and the one that always tried to humiliate and break him in front of everybody for his own amusement and to prove he was much more than anyone in the room. They had shared a few words, but Mamoru couldn't measure how much longer it would take for him to actually break the barrier of politeness and just throw a punch in his face. He was fed up with him, with this absurd way of living, and with everything he was forced to be and felt he was not.

The breaking point happened at a Christmas party at the Ritz, in the heart of downtown Tokyo. Chieko's parents would always get invited to assist along with some of the wealthiest people in Japan; it was a tradition for them to spend the holidays in lush parties like these with live music, liquor, and fancy dinners. After Chieko's birthday party, Mamoru was no longer a stranger to how these events worked since they were all followed a similar etiquette and rule. It was all too much of the same, and by same, he meant gigantic loads of pretension and snobbish ambiance but since Chieko insisted so much, and the level and amount of discussions, rants, and tantrums were so high, he agreed to go with her just to make her stop— _for his sake._

While the party was beyond elegant and extraordinary, it wasn't Mamoru's element. He didn't feel connected to this lifestyle and the more time he spent with Chieko, the more he noticed she was trapped in another dimension, one, where she just stretched her hand and waited for things to fall into place, just the way she wanted them to happen. Chieko slowly started to show another side of her she didn't show to him when they started dating; that time when they got along very well, had fun and they always had something to do. When it was just the two of them, there were no appearances to keep up and no fancy parties to attend to, but now, things had taken a different course and he wasn't liking the ride. Chieko had started to show jealousy toward whoever he talked to or whoever dared to look his way. She had become possessive and obsessive over what he did, who he talked to and where did he go every time he left her range of sight. She was always defensive and now had started insinuating things or mocking his ideas of making his own way in life but whenever they were at events like these, she would always do her own thing without showing much interest for him except when someone complimented her good eye for men and gaped upon him like some sort of prize after knowing who he really was. Mamoru had learned he had become her ticket to be in everyone's mouth and be the center of attention and the more he thought about it, the more he thought about Mao's words.

 _"Do you love this girl?"_

 _"Love is a powerful thing. It makes you feel helpless, it weakens your knees, it makes your heart beats faster, it clouds your reason and mind—it makes you feel complete, it makes you feel alive."_

 _"I don't believe she is that person, no. I don't think she's the one."_

" _You are not in love,"_

That was the problem, he didn't feel complete and he didn't feel alive. He felt as lost as when he opened his eyes in that hospital with no recollection of his life. He felt like he didn't belong anywhere and to anyone, he never truly felt like he did, there was always a question at the end of every reassurance he gave himself to keep going. He knew it wasn't right, so why did he stay? He asked himself multiple times but no good answer could come up to appease his troubled mind, that was something he really didn't know.

That night, after their dinner ended, Mamoru had started to feel a little lightheaded due to all the noise and the exaggerated amount of expensive perfume mixed with expensive cigars lingering in the air. He decided to go to the terrace to get some fresh air since it was one of those moments when Chieko disappeared in the large crowd, leaving him with little to nothing to do on his own except his great desire to be out of there. As he walked out of the terrace, he looked up at the snowy city in the distance and crossed his arms to keep some warmth in his body; suits weren't warm enough and he could bring his trusty green jacket because that would bring another fight with Chieko he sure didn't want to have, so he had to endure the freezing cold weather the best he could and hoped this wouldn't make him sick and affect his job and obligations at school later.

The minute he walked out the large glass doors, the ambiance shifted to a more comfortable flow despite the freezing breeze outside and took a deep breath. He held it for a couple of minutes and slowly exhaled the tension he had been accumulating for hours as he looked up at the clear night sky. Mamoru enjoyed looking at it whenever the moon was visible, for some reason, it always brought him comfort and relief. He remembered those nights at the orphanage when he felt the most alone and how he would always look out from his window and felt better; but also, because it reminded him of that girl, the one that talked to him in his dream. The one that took all his stress and pain away with just a few words and who had started to vanish from his dreams again. It had been long since he had a dream with her, it felt like an eternity since he last heard her powdery voice and saw the flow of her long pearlescent hair. He missed her, he needed her, and it was breaking his heart.

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"The legendary Silver Crystal..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find me..."_

"Find it..." Mamoru frowned with wonder and deep curiosity as he looked up at the moon, "Silver... your hair... it's silver... like cool beams of moonlight... tell me, how to find you, guide me where to look for you... please, send me a sign," his attention was soon interrupted by the sound of heels and hurried steps of someone that had walked out close to where he was standing. In his attempt to have some time of his own, Mamoru had been seating on the floor behind a bush so his presence was unnoticed by anyone that came out to the large terrace. Whoever that just went out was now standing at the other side of the fancy garden wall, separating them from the rest. It didn't take long for Mamoru to realize that the person on the other side was none other than Chieko and that the other person with her was none other than the copper-haired man—Sasaki Daichi.

"I don't know what you want from me, Daichi, I told you—it's not going to happen,"

"Why the hell not? It's not like it hasn't happened before," Daichi frowned as he looked down at Chieko who was a good foot shorter than him, "It's clear what's going on and it's clear you want it too,"

"I have a boyfriend, Daichi," Chieko looked at him and shook her head. Daichi arched his brow "Yeah, a boyfriend that's nowhere around—Chieko, what the hell are you doing? You're with that guy just because of his looks but he's a fucking loser! A freaking boring nerd—"

"A nerd that has more money than you can even imagine," Chieko glared at him, "More money than you,"

"Chieko come on," Daichi laughed, "If he had it, why isn't he using it? Gin got it all wrong! He's not a millionaire! Stop waiting for him to rescue you!"

"This is not about me being rescued, it's about having what I deserve!" Chieko pursed her lips, "I know he has money, I've seen my dad's archives and I know he will use it sooner or later—he doesn't have anyone else, he has full control of it and it will be mine once we start a life together."

"You have waited for more than enough, Chieko," Daichi pulled her closer to him and leaned his head down, "It's been six months of meeting in secret and sneaking at night together—he's not even sleeping with you, just ditch him already and come back to me, I can give you what you want, you know I can baby,"

"Please," Chieko looked at Daichi and tried to pull back but Daichi had her secured in his arms and leaned down to kiss her passionately, "You're mine Chieko—you've always been. Every time you're with a guy you come back and sneak to look for me because you know I can give you what they can't. The hell with him... if you want to keep this plan of yours, fine but the truth is that you will always return to me just like you did at the lounge party, your birthday, the dinner a few weeks ago, and all the times we met while you were going out with Noshima,"

"I have to go back, Daichi, I have to look for Mam—" Chieko gasped for air after breaking the kiss, Daichi tried to force her to stay "Chieko, no—open your eyes and realize he's a mediocre bastard!"

"I have to go back inside..." Chieko turned in a hurry and walked away, leaving Daichi dealing with his own frustration for a couple of minutes before walking back inside as well. Mamoru felt like if a bucket of ice-cold water was thrown at him and that his body had frozen to a point his limbs couldn't move. His brain kept repeating Chieko and Daichi's words and what's worse, the disgusting sound of their sloppy kissing as well. Mamoru didn't know just how much money Chieko was talking about; he knew his parents had jobs and that his father was a businessman but he never went as far as asking Ikio what his inheritance was and why his name was known by every socialite in Japan. It never ringed any bells because he never put that much attention to it.

He felt like the stupidest person on the planet and he didn't know what to do to rip that anger from his chest. This was the perfect moment for him to leave, it was the perfect moment for him to walk away and don't ever look back either at her or this life, but the sad truth of it was that as annoying and shallow this life was, it was the only company he had. It was the cruelest game his mind could play on him; after swallowing the truth of what was going on, he felt like he could leave but he also knew that if he did, he would be failing Ikio, the man that practically stood by his side ever since the accident. The man had high hopes for their relationship and so, if he wasn't going to stay with Chieko because he had feelings of love for her, at least he was going to do it for Ikio as a way to repay him for all he had done for him by keeping his daughter safe.

After a couple of more minutes in silence, he finally gathered the energy and courage to walk out of his not so secret hiding and strode back to the ballroom, hazed and hurt. His eyes quickly searched for the exit and long he was gone as soon as he crossed the dancefloor. Mamoru didn't feel like he owned any of them the remains of his patience, he was done. Without giving any notice, except for Ikio, he walked out of the hotel and went straight home without looking back. Without feeling angry at anyone but him.

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru really hoped things would settle down once the holidays were over and done but they only shifted into something else, something much darker and more complicated as the new year continued its course. Chieko would show a completely different side of her, a much more violent and aggressive one, something that went far beyond her usual theatrics and tantrums. She would yell the most awful things at Mamoru out of rage and she would throw the nastiest of spectacles because he would not agree on something with her. Things had escalated to a point where she would throw things at him just to release her own rage and then right after being invaded by guilt and swear him that she wouldn't do it again only to go down that same dark hole again and repeat her monstrous actions.

On top of that, Chieko wasn't happy that Mamoru suddenly stopped putting any effort or interest on being involved in her social life as she wanted him to be and Mamoru preferred to focus on his studies that had become more challenging along with his job at the store where he had been given more responsibilities as floor manager. Soon after her first fit of rage, Mamoru started acquiring the habit of disappearing for days whenever they started to argue and he would be absent until things would calm down to avoid more unwanted and unnecessary discussions, not to mention Chieko's sudden rants and outbursts of jealousy that drove Mamoru to a point of having to not even say goodbye to his dear friend Keiko, who a couple of months after, had moved away from Tokyo to expand her father's business and didn't even have a chance to talk and set things straight. His only friend was now gone, and to feel even more alone, Now, his only friend was now gone and now all he had were his dreams with the girl with the hair of moonbeam but even those had started to fade away. Mamoru had reached a breaking point, he was crashing. Physically and emotionally, he had started having blackouts caused by the tremendous amount of stress he was dealing on a daily basis and he would often wake up nauseous and disoriented. He had reached his limit. The world had eaten him alive.

Those fun afternoons at the park or the long strolls down Tokyo Bay had slowly vanished along with the playful and flirtatious vibe of their short but intense relationship. A year and a half later, Chieko and Mamoru had grown apart but much to everyone's surprise, they still remained together both for secret and different reasons. The more time it passed, the more Mamoru thought about what Mao had said to him a year ago and the more it made sense, the more he realized that he couldn't trust anyone just so easily anymore, not even if it was a person that knew him since childhood like Chieko did.

Why Mamoru continued to stay by her side after months and months of emotional abuse and torture, he wasn't sure anymore. He had lost all the will to defend the pride he thought he had. Maybe it was because he was so used to this situation that he paid little attention or maybe it was because he was too scared to be alone again. He just excused his loyalty to Ikio to try to mentalize himself that it was for the sake of looking out for his daughter to an extent of almost believing that maybe Chieko was the girl with who he had to be, despite their different perspectives.

Summer had come and gone as quickly as last year's and Mamoru was more than ready to be done with his mid-term exams for fall. With his new job position, he had to go back to his old routine of taking double shifts because his rent was also escalating and it was putting a lot of weight over his shoulders to a point it was starting to affect his health. He had stopped running like he used to, he barely had time to sleep and his lack of focus was starting to affect his performance at school as well and that was something he could not allow, no matter how bad he felt, he had to keep his studies and scholarship intact.

"Here is the new provider's information, Mao-san," Mamoru entered Mao's office and handed her the papers, "They will begin stocking the new merchandise later this week,"

"Good," Mao looked down at the papers and then at Mamoru and frowned, "Mamoru, are you alright?"

Mao had been fighting her own battles on the side and as much as she wanted to keep it a secret for as much as she could, even an exhausted Mamoru managed to crack her and make her confess what was going on. Over the past couple of months, she had started feeling too tired all the time and had started having intense pain on her back and sides; when the symptoms were not subsiding after taking common pain medication. After much thought and enough gathered courage, she called everyone to a meeting and explained how she had gone to the doctor a year ago and that she was given the news that she had pancreatic cancer and that it was taking control of her body faster than everyone imagined, shaking everyone's ground and breaking their spirit to shreds; especially Mamoru's.

Mao was a strong woman, but she was also very scared for her girls and husband, but the only way she could deal with the news and her fears was to continue working until her body asked her to stop. Mamoru was one of the first people to know and it only added more tension to his already complicated life because he had been welcomed into her family with open arms; he loved that woman like a true mother and Mao, strong character and all, adored Mamoru like a son.

"Yes, just a little tired..." Mamoru cleared his throat "I'm fine,"

"Have you eaten? You look pale, grab an apple or a banana, you need potassium,"

Mamoru frowned, "I'm fine, I did eat... this afternoon..."

Mao narrowed her brown eyes and went to close the door of her office then turned her attention at the young man standing next to her and pressed her hand against Mamoru's cheek, then his forehead, "You are exhausted, Mamoru."

"I'm fine,"

"Go home—rest, you _need_ to rest." Mao turned and walked back to sit behind her desk and started looking at the papers Mamoru just gave her for a minute before looking up at him with a frown, "What are you still doing here?!" Her intense glare soon softened with understanding, after a long time, Mamoru had chosen to stay—he wasn't hiding anymore, not from her, "Ah... I see..."

"What?"

"You don't want to see her," Mao arched her brow and leaned back in her chair, "Have you gone missing again, Mamoru? Is this another episode of yours?"

"No," Mamoru frowned, "This is an episode where I wait for your signature so I can continue doing my work, Mao-san."

"Ah, so the boy has thickened his skin," Mao widened her eyes with surprise and cracked a hearty chuckle, "Finally, you've grown... I'm proud, I'm relieved."

"Mao-san..."

"You have realized it, don't you?"

Mamoru sighed and pulled the chair in front of Mao's desk, "I'm tired Mao-san... of everything..." he leaned forward and rested his head on his hands "I'm very tired..."

Mao has never seen him like this before and it was starting to worry her because it was so unlike him to be this sad, "How long are you going to continue with this?" The woman frowned, "Why have you stayed despite being so miserable is beyond me, really."

"I don't know, Mao-san," Mamoru shook his head, "But the more I think about it, the more I feel this all has been a mistake—a terrible one. That I shouldn't be here, that nothing I've done is what I should be doing." He looked up at her with red eyes, proof that he had cried out in frustration when no one's been watching, "I don't know if getting out of that damn orphanage was the best thing for me to do, I don't know if it was better to just ask Ikio-san an easy way out... I don't know if the doctors did the right thing by letting me live..."

Mao looked at him with sad eyes; it happened, her biggest fear: the world had started to break him and he was now at the very edge of having an emotional breakdown. She had seen him struggling with things in silence for a long time now, for many of them, this past year might have gone too fast but probably for Mamoru, time might have stopped because he didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how much he tried to keep a positive attitude, no matter how much he tried to work things out. Mao knew Mamoru's school was not one that he could easily choose to leave, she saw him study and work hard to earn his place in the world and she saw him go to the very lengths of not sleeping through many nights, doing homework and other projects to keep up with their strict and demanding rhythm. The young man was trying to survive in a world that was slowly devouring him alive and she felt impotent now that her time was slipping away.

"Mamoru," Mao went to sit on the chair next to him and put her hands on his back, "What are you so afraid of?"

Mamoru shook his head, "I don't know... I just am..." he looked up and took a deep breath, "I am afraid I am going to be alone all of my life and it's not that kind of solitude of being single, it's the other kind. The one that reminds you how you should have done things—the one that reminds you how is it that you ended up in whatever crappy situation you are stuck in, the one that sucks you into a dark hole and doesn't let you get out," he sighed, "The people I care about always ends up leaving, one way or another, they leave... my parents... Chiko... Keiko... even Chieko, because the girl she is now is not the girl I met a year and a half ago." He finally turned to look at the older woman with tears in his eyes, "What am I going to do without you, Mao-san?! What am I going to do once I lose you too to that stupid cancer?!"

"You are going to continue living,"

"No..."

"You are not going to lose me, Mamoru." Mao felt her eyes burn with tears, "Yes, I'm sick—I know what's going to happen, but I will always be _here_ ," Mao patted Mamoru's chest, "Inside this heart of gold of yours."

"Mao-san... don't start with that..." Mamoru sniffled and looked away, "I don't want you _here_ ," Mamoru pointed his chest angrily then at her chair, "I want you _there,_ right where you are!"

"Mamoru, listen to me," Mao cupped his tear-stained face in her hands and looked into his eyes, "You need to thicken that skin of yours and walk away. You need to end that torture. Stop being afraid. I promise you with all my heart, that you will find that person you are looking for... you won't even need to wait to find out if she is the one, you'll know it right away because she will take your breath away, every day." She smiled softly, "She's waiting for you, somewhere out there but you won't be able to find her if you don't put an end to whatever you have with this other girl and all the things you have been dragging with you up until today. You need to put an end and move on. You need to realize that it's been enough. You did it, you proved yourself you can do great things if you set your mind to it but you won't get where you want to go if you stay here, working at this store. Mamoru... this is as far as you'll go if you stay here and I can't let you do that to yourself because I know you are destined for greater things. It's time to move on—you're fired."

"What?!" Mamoru widened his blue eyes with shock and desperation, "Mao-san..."

Mao flicked a strand of his midnight hair covering his face and gave him the sweetest of smiles, "This is for your own good, _trust me._ You can't work for me, not anymore."

It was this very moment when Mamoru realized just how bad things were with Mao's health. He had been there and seen her gradient fall; he went with her to many of her scheduled chemotherapy sessions and stayed by her side every time they put a giant needle to prep her for her treatment; he helped her and her husband by babysitting the girls whenever they had to go out of town to look for new medicines and while it did give her some sort of peace, she was now up to a point where when was also tired of fighting against the current so she made the decision to quit her treatment that was no longer taking her anywhere and enjoyed the remains of her time doing what she loved with the people she loved. Mao had lost a considerable amount of weight, her luscious brown hair thinned and now it had started to fall, her always plump and rosy cheeks were gone, so was that characteristic sparkle in her eyes. The only thing that reminded Mamoru that the woman in front of him was in fact, Mao, was her strong character and how she was never afraid to speak her mind.

"Go home and sleep. But after you wake up, do what you have to do without looking back and without feeling guilty. Do you hear me Mamoru?!"

Mamoru shook his head and smiled sadly, "I don't know how the hell you do it, Mao-san..."

"What?" Mao frowned confused, Mamoru looked at her and went to wrap his arms around her in a loving embrace "You're the strongest woman I know, I admire you so much and I will always be grateful to you..." he sniffled, "Thank you, Mao-san... for saving my life,"

Mao couldn't resist her tears any longer and responded to the hug the same way Mamoru did, "Oh, my sweet boy... the strongest girl you will ever meet, is the one that gets to capture your soul. You have the heart of a lion, fierce and loyal; kind and passionate. You will be loved, my dear boy, you deserve to be loved for who you are and not for the things you have, rich or poor... that doesn't matter, your soulmate will not mind any of that." She closed her eyes and smiled, "When you find her... you will live in peace, you will feel complete... and you will see this as a vague and distant memory."

"Mao-san..."

"I love you, my sweet boy," Mao drew back and looked into his eyes, "Embrace who you are, don't see it as a curse—you are too beautiful to be cursed. Look up, stand up straight and face life as it comes without fear; you have what it takes—you have the brains, you have the guts, you have the looks, and you also have the heart. Be proud of who you are but, also, you need to make peace with yourself and your past. Accept who you are, embrace it and be good—do good. Make a difference. Take what matters from this and build a better future."

Mamoru tried to avert his gaze from Mao but her warm hands on his face had him under her caring spell; Mao smiled softly, "You say I saved your life... but there is one other person that has been watching over you for years and has respected every decision you have made. At your young age, your voice is being heard and you need to be thankful." Mao arched a brow and tapped the young man's forehead, "Grab some food from the store and go home. Sleep. Rest your mind and start anew."

There was something in Mao's voice that obliged Mamoru to just listen and obey her request. There was not much else to be said or done; she already has given him the hardest of lessons in life by letting him go but also, because she had given him so much to think about. He understood what she was doing and he appreciated her faith put in him; she was pushing him to thrive for something bigger, something better and to find the reason for his dreams. With the most genuine smile of gratitude he finally let go of her hand and turned to walk away; something within him was already telling him things were going to be different the next time he opened his eyes and face his tomorrow. Things were going to change.

Mamoru walked out of the store's warehouse with a box with his things, not that he had much but there were things of great value to him, including a picture of him when Mao invited him over for dinner with Mao's husband and her two little girls. Those were the things that really mattered to him, the things that enriched his life from the inside, the ones that made him aspire to a better life and find happiness. For Mamoru this was the true value of wealth; being humble, being kind and fearless and he was going to live up to those beliefs until his very last breath, no matter which turns or decisions he made in his life.

As he stood on the sidewalk waiting for the red light to turn green, he finally came to the conclusion on what he was going to do next and armed himself with courage before going to a payphone and dialed a number he knew by heart.

"Hi... it's me..." Mamoru took a deep breath and closed his eyes, finally letting go, "There is something I need to talk to you about..."

O—o—O

The next day was probably the hardest of his life since he woke up in a hospital without a single clue of what happened to him or who he was. One of the employees from the store had gone looking for Mamoru to give him the news that Mao had passed away early that morning. The person who had looked out for him for almost two years was suddenly gone and not sure why, or how, Mamoru had the feeling that she knew it was going to happen, giving her enough reason to talk to him and give her a final piece of advice.

Mamoru was finishing getting ready for Mao's funeral and burial when he heard a desperate pound on his door and immediately knew who was responsible for it. With a sigh, he walked over to open it and saw Chieko standing at the other side, fuming with anger, "Are we still playing this stupid hide and seek game?!" She walked past Mamoru without being invited and watched him close the door, still without saying a word, "Until when you were planning to show your face, huh?!"

"Okay," Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose, "First of all—I wasn't hiding and second—I don't have time for this right now Chieko, I need to start getting ready to go out," he sighed and turned to look for his keys and wallet; Chieko frowned "With who? Just who do you think you are to decide where to go without me?! Without telling me!? You belong to me!"

Mamoru froze in his place and turned to look at her over his shoulder with an angry frown, "What?"

"You heard me! Who are you going to see?! Is that stupid Keiko, isn't she?! You've been bringing her here..." she looked around and made a disgusted grimace "To this hole?!" She pointed the bed, "Have you slept with her already!? You can't sleep with me but you are sleeping with her!?"

Mamoru shook his head in disbelief, this was a new level of craziness he hadn't seen before, it was frightening to see how her rants had crossed the fine line from jealousy to paranoia, "What the hell are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind?! What is the matter with you?!" He stood defiantly in front of her with the angriest of glances he has ever given to anyone, not even to the nurses or doctors at the hospital when they were about to put another needle in his arm to sedate him or the staff at the orphanage when he was put to scrub the floors of every bathroom in the building for trying to escape in the middle of the night. "You of all people demanding answers from me and calling me names when you are not far behind from that truth,"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Chieko frowned. Mamoru arched his brow "Did you forget already your little romantic fling with Daichi?"

Chieko widened her eyes, feeling all color in her face drain like water on a faucet, "I don't know what you—"

"Oh please, Chieko," Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "Who do you think you are talking to? I am neither of the people you hang out with—I'm not Gin, Daichi, Hisao, or Sachihiro." He shook his head, "I'm not stupid—I know what you've been doing behind my back so don't come and tell me that I am the one to blame here."

"Who told you this?!" Chieko frowned "That's not true!"

"I saw you, Chieko... and what's worse, I heard you." Mamoru shook his head, "It's disgusting... to see how you measure a person's worth like if everyone was a piece of a game you want to win," he crossed his arms, "What? Are you looking for the best bidder and see who can take you out of your miserable life? A life you have done nothing to earn what you think you deserve?"

"You want to talk about miserable lives, Mamoru?" Chieko put her hands on her waist and started laughing despite the tears pooling in her eyes, "Look around you! Look where you live—look what you are... a clerk boy... a mediocre employee. A loser. The minute I realized that you were nothing but the ghost of what you were supposed to become I had to start looking for something better," she frowned, " _I_ deserve something better!"

"And better means looking for a rich guy to support you? To give you a bottomless expense account?" Mamoru arched his brow, "Really, Chieko? Are you willing to go that far just so you don't lose your reputation and have a luxurious life? You are so afraid that your father might put some discipline that you prefer to lose all dignity and do whatever it takes to have ownership of other people's money?"

"You are a _nobody_ Chiba Mamoru!" Chieko yelled at the top of her lungs and threw herself at him, punching her fists at his chest with rage, "You are nothing but just a worthless orphan with no money, no class, and no future!" She tapped her forehead as she looked at him with a mocking grin, "Is that clear enough for you? In what language I have to say it for your brain to process it or will your stupid amnesia cut some of the words because of your stupid accident? You're poor, you're nothing! You are going to die alone because nobody likes to be attached to a son of no one like you. You have no one, Mamoru. I was the only one there for you—"

"The only one?"

"Yes!"

"How exactly?" Mamoru shook his head, "By making me feel guilty for not sleeping with you? By forcing me to go to all of your stupid events with socialites and your pointless fancy parties? By using me as an accessory to make you look good?"

"You knew I was the only one. Without me, you have no one Mamoru. You're alone, you have no family, you have no friends, no decent life."

Mamoru felt the sting of her words and clenched his jaw with anger, "If you thought that of me, why the hell have you stayed with me for the past year and a half?! We are at each other's throat almost every day!"

"Because despite being embarrassingly poor, you are stupidly gorgeous and I am not blind, I can't look away from you, you belong to me, Chiba Mamoru, do you hear me?! You are mine!" Chieko turned and grabbed a plate Mamoru had left on the small sink and threw it at his direction but Mamoru was quick enough to dodge the crash, he turned to look at her with wide eyes and shook his head with disbelief, "You are insane. You are sick—you need help,"

"No! You're the crazy one! You and your _stupid_ dream with that _stupid_ _girl_ and that _stupid crystal_ that doesn't even exist!"

"What the hell do you want from me, Chieko!?" Mamoru's patience was completely gone at this point and had started yelling at the top of his lungs with rage and desperation, "What can you possibly want from me if you just marked my worth!? If I am a mediocre orphan... what the hell are you doing here!? Leave me alone!"

"We had plans for a future together and you ruined it!" Chieko frowned angrily, "You and your stupid pride and your stupid ideas of doing things on your own... you damn hippie. You may be gorgeous, but you are just a poor boy in a mediocre suit."

"And you? You just want money... that's all you care about, a leech for other people's money." Mamoru shook his head and chuckled with both disbelief and sarcasm, "You were just waiting for me to cash my inheritance... what a clever girl..." he sighed with disappointment, "Oh Chieko... you're too spoilt to face reality and the truth is that I don't blame your father _or_ mother for it. It's you. All this paranoia and craziness—this ambition—it's all caused by you." He looked at Chieko's crying face with trails of her liner and mascara smudged on her flushed cheeks and shook his head, "This is another tantrum of yours because is something you want but cannot have—you need help, seriously." He narrowed his eyes, "You don't measure your words or your actions. You hurt without caring about others, you stomp on people's feelings to get what you want and once you do, you discard of them like garbage, and the frightening part of all this is that you are only sixteen years old... I really hope this doesn't eat you alive once it's too late to do something to atone for your mistakes,"

"Oh, boo... did I hurt you, did I hurt your little heart, _hunk_?"

Something inside Mamoru sparked, like a starting fire devouring a forest and reacted by grabbing her wrist and pulled her closer to him with force, "Don't _ever_ call me _that_ again, do you hear me? Don't you even dare to mention my name again. Ignore I exist, forget you crossed paths with me, forget you ever met me. As for this moment on, go and live the life you want, go sleep with Daichi, kiss Gin behind Mimi's back, marry an old man—I _don't_ care, just stay away from me. You think you broke my heart? Don't worry... you didn't, because I don't love you, I don't think I ever did. We never had anything in common, we weren't that close—not even when we believed we were because you were just playing a stupid game to get my attention and see what benefit you could get from me."

Chieko looked at him defiantly, obviously hurt by his words, "Yes, and yet you fell for it."

"How miserable and alone you must feel right now..." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "I could feel sorry for you, I almost do... but I won't. I won't waste my time on that. I'm done—with you and everything you represent." He let go of her wrist and turned to grab a bag before walking past her. Chieko was left stunned in the middle of the room, this was the first time she had seen Mamoru like this; the way he looked at her and how his voice deepened with rage made her feel weak and intimidated—scared. As she stared at the door left open for her, she knew his promise was real, this would be the last time she would see him; she turned to look around the room and saw there was nothing else that would give the hint that he would return.

Chiba Mamoru had disappeared again, and this time, it was for good.

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru stood under a tree watching Mao's burial happening several feet away from him and could not help feeling a part of him being buried along with Mao's oak coffin. He didn't like it—goodbyes. He was never good at them, he was tired of having to say goodbye to the people he loved.

He saw Mao's two girls glued to their father, who was clearly brokenhearted for the loss of his loving wife, his soulmate—the love of his life. Mamoru looked up and tightened his green jacket, not really minding that his black suit underneath was getting wet from the rain that hadn't stopped pouring. He watched in silence as the people started to leave one by one giving the family their condolences for their loss and walked toward the coffin once they were the only ones left.

Benjiro, Mao's beloved husband, noticed the young man's presence and sighed softly, "She didn't feel any pain," he sniffled, "When she returned home, she had this big smile on her face—you know which one, the one that could light up an entire room." The copper-haired man—bearded and robust, said softly, "We had dinner in peace, we did our normal routine and then, she went to sleep and didn't wake up this morning. She's gone, Mamoru-kun, my Mao is gone." He rested his strong arm around Mamoru's shoulders and broke in sobs, "She is always going to be the love of my life. The one that took my breath away—every day."

The words made Mamoru remember the time when Mao told him the principles of love and how he should be with someone that would do just that: take his breath away, every single day. One that would make him feel weak on the knees, that would make his heart flutter a hundred times per second inside his chest, the one that would steal every though and smile from him without expecting anything in return. Love was a selfless feeling, it bloomed and flowed naturally, it wasn't forced, it wasn't a feeling imposed—it didn't demand anything. It didn't claim any rights over anyone, it didn't tie anyone against their will. It was pure and for what Mamoru was seeing, Mao and Benjiro's love was transcendental and it was reflected in their two loving daughters.

Benjiro sniffled and turned to look at him, "I heard she fired you—to the very last minute, she showed who was the boss," Mamoru sighed softly and nodded, "Yes, she fired me."

"You can have your job back, Mamoru-kun, that is not a problem. With Mao gone, I will need someone of my whole trust to help me take charge of the store," Benjiro said softly; Mamoru smiled sadly appreciating the gesture and shook his head, "It's okay, Benjiro-san, I know why Mao-san let me go—I will take it as a challenge and pursue other projects."

"You moving?"

"Yes, something like that..."

"Where?"

"Not too far, I'll be around."

Benjiro nodded, "Well... don't be a stranger. Mao loved you like a son, and so do I and if you ever need it, your place at the store will be waiting for you."

Mamoru turned to look at him with the warmest of smiles and nodded, "Thank you, Benjiro-san. I won't be a stranger, I promise." He leaned closer and hugged the man, "I am very sorry for your loss,"

"I'm sorry too, Mamoru-kun." Benjiro closed his eyes and patted the young man's back, "I'm sorry too." He pulled back and sighed, "She gave me two beautiful girls that I have to keep molding to be great women, just like her mother."

Mamoru nodded and crouched in front of the girls and dried their tears with his hand. He knew perfectly well how this felt, the understood every single tear that rolled down their cheeks and every sob that broke out of their small chests. He went over it himself and he saw it with the other children at the orphanage, "Hey, Tao-chan, Mei-chan."

"Mamoru-oniisan," Five-year-old Tao sniffled, she was the oldest of the two and she had curly reddish hair like her mother but big green eyes that showed the Scottish heritage she got from her father. Mei was four years old, and she was the closest to Mao in appearance. She was the cutest chubby girl with the cutest chubby cheeks and wavy brown hair. By now, both had grown very fond of Mamoru for all the times that Mao asked him to babysit them when she had some commitment with Benjiro or when she had to take them to the store because her nanny had failed her that day.

"Mama... is Mama coming back?" Four-year-old Mei asked the young man. Mamoru sighed softly and shook his head, this was a question he had to answer a lot for the small children at the orphanage but it didn't matter how many times he was asked, it was never easy to answer. "Mama is in another place now, Mei-chan," he dried her tears with his thumb, "But that doesn't mean she left you behind. Your Mama now lives in here," he tapped his finger where her heart was beating and then her forehead, "And here— and she will always be with you. You can see her whenever you want in your dreams and when you feel sad or tired, just look up at the sky and be sure that's she's watching over you and Tao from a star all the way up in heaven." He turned to Tao and gave her a warm smile, "That is a secret she told me but now I am confiding it to you," he winked his eye at her, making her smile.

"Are you coming back with us, Mamoru-oniisan?" Mei asked softly, Mamoru sighed softly and shook his head, "No, Mei-chan... not this time,"

"Why?"

"There are some things I need to do," Mamoru gave the girls a sad smile. Tao sighed, "You're leaving us too... are you going to forget about us?"

"No, no—never." Mamoru shook his head, "We're friends. Friends don't leave their friends behind... it's just that there are things for me to do somewhere else." He felt his heart shattering inside his chest and pulled both girls into his arms and sighed softly, "Don't be sad—I'll visit you." Tao wrapped her little arms around Mamoru's neck and closed her eyes, "You promise, oniisan?"

"I swear, Tao-chan,"

"And will you play with us?"

"Sure thing, Mei-chan, anything you want," he pulled back and looked into their teary eyes, "And if your Papa has to stay late at the store, I'll come and look after you, okay? I will be just one phone call away." Both girls nodded, "Okay,"

"Be good." Mamoru tapped their noses and smiled softly at them, "Always listen to Benjiro Papa, he knows what's best for you, okay?"

"Yes, Mamoru-oniisan," both girls said in unison. Mamoru gave them another brotherly hug and stood up, "I mean it, Benjiro-san, I am just one call away," Benjiro nodded with a soft smile, "Thank you, Mamoru-kun. Take care."

"You too, Benjiro-san," Mamoru smiled and watched the man taking his children with him and walk away. He turned to the glossy casket and let out a shaky breath, "This is never easy—saying goodbye." He sniffled and shook his head, "You always had this weird way of knowing things ahead of time, you always said it was a gift—I say it's a blessing. I promise I will become someone good... I promise I will succeed, and I promise you I will find _her."_ He walked closer and put his hand over the wet casket and closed his eyes, "I love you, Mao-san," he smiled sadly, "Goodbye."

Mamoru turned to walk away and stopped when he saw a suited man wearing a trench coat and holding a black umbrella in the same spot under the tree where he was standing moments ago. They both looked at each other in silence for a couple of minutes before Mamoru walked over to him and bowed his head in respect. Ikio looked at him and tilted his head, "I'm sorry for your loss Mamoru, I know how much you cared for her."

Mamoru nodded and gave the man a faint smile despite the tension between them, "Thank you, Ikio-san,"

Ikio sighed softly, "I know what happened. Chieko came back home a little too hysterical, according to Akane's words. You did it, you ended your relationship."

"I'm sorry, Ikio-san... I know you had high hopes for this relationship to work but... I just... I couldn't..."

"Mamoru, if you stayed with Chieko because you felt like you owed me something, I ask you to stop feeling guilty." Ikio shook his head, "I told you many times before, my daughter—she's complicated. I love her with all my heart but I love you too and that was not healthy for any of you. It was something that needed to end, don't feel ashamed or sorry. You two live in two different worlds and that is how things are, you are who you are... you want other things, you want to move forward and I am here to help you do that. I am surprised you called me first to let me know what you were planning on doing. It was unexpected, but I am glad you have decided to move on,"

"It was the right thing to do," Mamoru put his hands in his pockets, "It needed to be done,"

Ikio nodded and patted Mamoru's shoulder, "I am very proud of you, Mamoru." He handed the young man his umbrella, "Come on, let's go. There are many things we must do and much paperwork you need to read before the day comes to an end." Mamoru nodded and walked along Ikio, "About that other thing... did you find one?"

"In Azabu Juban—I know you asked me to find something simple but Azabu is an expensive place to live Mamoru, I am surprised you managed to find a room in the area and be able to pay it with your humble paycheck from the store. Don't worry, you will like this place, for starters... it's quiet."

"That sounds good..." Mamoru smiled softly and sighed with relief as they walked toward Ikio's car, "That sounds _very_ good."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Long chapter, trust me, I know. You can find more references for this chapter, in "A tissue to the rescue" and "Chapter 43 of Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife."_

 _*217 Yen = $2.03 USD_

 _*Takoyaki: Small ball-shaped Japanese snacks made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion._


	6. Shades of Blue - Royal

Divinity: A day in the life

 _Shades of Blue – Extra Chapter_

* * *

-PART THREE: ROYAL BLUE -

-O-

The morning sun's bright rays filtered through the panoramic windows of an apartment on the 25th floor of the *Mori Tower Residence welcoming the new day with all its new challenges and events.

Sixteen-year-old Chiba Mamoru walked out of his bedroom looking impeccable with his Navy Blue blazer and grey slacks of his Moto Azabu uniform while working on the knot of his deep red tie that marked his status as a high-school student at the prestigious institution and walked into the kitchen to put the coffee machine to work while he took a final glance at an essay he wrote for one of his classes. He was close to ending the final round of exams before winter starts; he was coming close to start his third year of high school and while his grades were excellent he still had to give his all and even more to keep his perfect grades so he can get good references from the Moto Azabu School Board and earn a scholarship to enter the School of Medicine at Keio University in the near future.

It had been now six months since Mao's passing and he was slowly getting used to his new life in his new apartment in Azabu Juban. At first, he was surprised Ikio had found this place quick enough for him to move without having to return to the small room he was renting back in the alley close to Mao's small market. The day Ikio met him at Mao's burial he took Mamoru to his office and explained everything he needed to know about the wealth his family still harvested and how it all had been managed and invested until that very day. He remembered spending the entire day reading countless of legal paperwork that would now officially acknowledge him as the true and sole heir of Natsuo's and Harumi's entire list of assets. He admitted it was overwhelming to find out the truth about his family and how surprised he was when he indeed confirmed his inheritance was worth much more than the million Yen he initially had in his mind.

With Ikio's trustworthy advice and heavy knowledge on the matter, Mamoru finally understood Mao's words and agreed it was time for him to step up and accept the facts. True, he was wealthy, very wealthy. He had a secured place among the wealthiest people in Japan now; he had a fortune that could easily give him a life with much more comfort and much more luxury than the one Chieko ever had for more than just one lifetime since Chiba Natsuo's shares in the Tri Financial Group were still active and going strong, meaning the money kept flowing and packing the accounts that were now under Chiba Mamoru's name.

After giving a lot of thought to the whole situation, Mamoru had come to terms to the fact that no matter how much he wanted to step away from his surname's shadow, it was going to follow him for the rest of his life. It was bizarre how things turned out to be; the kind of life he has had and how it had drastically changed over the course of his sixteen years of life. From having it all he went to lose everything, including his family. He went through hunger, he went through cold, solitude, sleepless nights and incredible amounts of stress; he worked double shifts or until his body was willing to continue all while trying his best to keeping his grades at school on steady numbers and on top of that, he lost one of the most influential people in his life, and now, he had all these things he didn't even know how to start to believe he had. After a long talk, and much insistence on Ikio's behalf, Mamoru finally agreed to sign the papers to grant him access to a part of his inheritance. He looked at the numbers and he came to realize it was more than enough to allow him to live comfortably without having to worry about the rent, food or any other expense he might need until he was a legal adult and was given full control over his family's assets and just as he promised, he hired Shimuta Ikio to be his new legal and financial advisor finally breaking the invisible barrier of using honorifics, as agreed.

Despite now having the means to live a life free of many agents of stress, Mamoru kept his principles and ideals intact and stayed true to his quiet and humble upbringing. Sure, the apartment where he stayed now was far from being humble but he didn't even bother to décor it with fancy or expensive things. He was more than fine with keeping everything simple and basic and just bought the necessary things for his everyday life. The apartment already came fully equipped with a contemporary *serene kitchen with stainless-steel cabinets he only accompanied with a coffee machine. In the open spaced living room, he had put a simple light grey sofa a large shelf where he put his growing collection of books and a small side table with a simple lamp, along with a matching grey-wood coffee table. Probably the only thing he wasn't sorry of buying was, of course, a very comfortable king-sized bed, thinking that after sleeping on the stiffest and uncomfortable beds for so many years, he felt it was more than fair to invest in a good mattress considering his sleep was as light as a feather.

His attention was soon caught by the beeping sound of his coffee machine indicating the freshly brewed beverage was ready and put his paper on the counter before going to get his mug, the same one Mao had given him some time ago and poured some of that coffee inside and took a quick sip before walking to his empty living room while taking a much longer sip of his coffee and reading the paper on his other hand and went to stand by the window to give it one last glance. The young man looked down at his watch and then out the window and sighed softly, noticing he still had plenty of time before he had to leave for school.

Days after Mamoru was settled in the new apartment, his dreams of the girl with the hair of moonbeam had returned and he didn't know if it had to do with the fact that he had uninterrupted sleep but they had started to become more vivid, more intense, to a point she never left his mind and felt more convinced there was more to her request. For some reason, Mamoru was drawn to the idea of its existence and he started to believe it could open the doors to his past and remember the life he had before the accident; he needed to know things that went beyond an ID card and several papers with his name on them; he wanted to remember who he was and finally put that part of his life to rest. Since that moment on, he started a quest to find the answers he needed, he needed to find that crystal and he wanted to find _her._

As he looked out the window, he thought how that dream, despite being a haze it became a reality for him, a truth that needed to be found—a puzzle. With nothing else keeping him from searching for his truth, Mamoru took it as a sign and took matters into his own hands and started his hunt for the silver crystal—whatever that was. Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and sighed softly, thinking about what he should do next as he heard the soft echo of the young woman's petition playing in his mind.

 _"The Legendary Silver Crystal..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find it..."_

 _"...Find me..."_

O—o—o—o—o—O

His search first began in books, every day after school he would go to many libraries and bookstores and read books and encyclopedias about minerals, jewels, and crystals to find any information regarding the one in his dreams. The hard part was not finding information about them, there were hundreds, if not thousands of kinds, from precious to semi-precious, to minerals and lab-made crystals; the difficult part was to find a stone he has never seen in his life. Following his bed investment, his second valuable purchase was a laptop—another thing he didn't feel guilty about buying because it was something he really needed and that could help him with his studies, so whenever he couldn't go to the library after school, he would spend hours at home doing research on the stone but as much as he tried, he still didn't find any valuable information, at least nothing that could really make him feel like he was getting somewhere and that is when he started to think outside of the box and consider other options—much more drastic options.

His new farfetched adventure started a few days after when he was on his way back from school; since he no longer had to juggle between schedules with work and school and other things in between, and by things, it was his stressful and disappointing failed relationship with Shimuta Chieko. Ever since that day, he hasn't heard much from her except that she was not doing too well in school and that she still attended exclusive parties—that was the most Ikio was willing to share out of respect for him since he knew how chaotic that whole year and a half turned out to be for both of them. Mamoru would be lying if he said he wasn't affected by it, at times, the fear he talked about with Mao came so overpoweringly that he had to go out for a run in the middle of the night to appease the anxiety bottling in his chest. He was ashamed to admit he missed being with someone, mostly because it was an experience he thought would get to live for the rest of his life, he missed the feeling of belonging; while he had his place among the rich, it wasn't a world Mamoru cared about. Innocently enough, the young man really came around the idea of spending his days with the Chieko he met that day at the park, way before she started to become so obsessed with money and social status. Mamoru missed having someone to talk to, at school he didn't socialize much and while he got along very well with all his classmates and he often played soccer with some of them after school he couldn't say he really had someone close enough to call a friend.

Sadly, he had lost track of Keiko too, he wasn't really sure where she had moved so that bond was also gone. Chieko really took the best of him, his hopes, his dreams, his laughter, his first kiss—she took it all and she threw it to the garbage along with his trust on other people but it would have been much worse if he stayed—that he knew. He had to get away from everything and everyone for his own sanity, starting from her. Mamoru was most certain Chieko knew he wasn't living in that small room in the alley and that he didn't work at the store anymore. By now, she probably is aware that he moved someplace else, somewhere nicer where she could have had no problem living carelessly and if he ever decided to call her, she would do anything, even to admit her own mistakes just to get back together and take advantage of his newly acquired money. Alone or not, Mamoru still had his dignity and after walking away from that relationship he made a promise to himself that no matter how much money he had in the bank he would still work hard to achieve his goals and earn his place in the world. Mao would be proud to know he had thickened his skin but at the cost of living in complete solitude.

Mamoru had to find something else to do with his free time, he had too much on his hands or at least he felt that way and all that finally came to an idea when he walked by a formal wear store and saw a mannequin nicely dressed in a black tuxedo with a long black cape with red lining inside the glass apparel and immediately felt drawn to it. Not even when he went to the many fancy parties with Chieko at the Ritz or any of the other high-end places where she liked to go he wore something as formal as a tuxedo but there was something about it that made him feel familiar to it—almost nostalgic. His initial thought was to believe it was because it reminded him of Chiko, his big brother from the orphanage. The guy that was there to welcome him, the one that monitored his every step, and even caught him in his many attempts to escaping the institution in the middle of the night—his voice of reason and the very one that gave him the famous nickname, that later on, identified him with the other kids and staff. At first, Mamoru didn't like to be called other than his full name but the more time he spent with the young man, the more he became attached to it and now, it was one of the little memories he kept dear in his mind. His ocean blue eyes widened when he remembered the meaning of that nickname and it clicked, making perfect sense on what to do next, " _Lupin_... the mysterious thief,"

Without thinking it twice, Mamoru walked into the store and immediately went to take a closer look at the mannequin and smiled softly when he imagined what Chiko would say at this particular moment.

"Hello, can I help you?" A lovely lady in a dark uniform walked over to Mamoru, interrupting his little moment of remembrance and smiled at him. Mamoru turned and blinked a little startled and smiled softly, "Hi, uh—I was just taking a look at this tuxedo,"

The woman, probably in her mid-thirties pushed her thick glasses back from the center of her frames and smiled. She looked approachable, maybe because of her lovely freckles and the way her short hair framed her head like a crown of tight red curls, "Ah, yes... it's lovely, isn't it? It sure catches a lot of attention from the people passing by,"

"Y-Yeah... it's nice,"

"That is one nice tuxedo—it is in fact, our finest in inventory." the lady smiled warmly, "Are you looking for something in particular?"

Mamoru pursed his lips and turned to look at the mannequin again and for some strange reason, the more he looked at it, the more drawn he felt around the idea of getting it, "Do you have a formal event to assist to in the near future?"

"Yes," Mamoru turned to the store clerk and flashed her a confident smile and put his socialite knowledge to some use; he had to do something worthy with it despite not caring about it at all, so he went along with it, "I have this white-tie event at The Cerulean in a couple of weeks and I need to look appropriate for the occasion," Mamoru silently thanked Ikio for mentioning he had to attend that particular formal dinner party that required strict etiquette wear at that prestigious venue.

"Oh," the lady smiled again, "Well, I can show you around and see what suits you best. We have several options for you—there's the Double Breasted: This look is very fashion-forward, and is especially flattering on slim men, as it makes your shoulders appear broader. The Single Breasted Peak Lapel: This is the most traditional tuxedo style, and a good starting option if you're not sure what your personal tastes are just yet. We have a selection of Shawl Collar: This dapper look is extra-flattering for heavier men but looks great on everyone, the Notched Collar that—"

"Actually, I am interested in this one,"

"Oh?" The lady, who had a tag with the name Akari, blinked a little surprised by the young man's confident suggestion, "Well... _that one_ , in particular, is a little more on the expensive side... but, I can show you some other much affordable options to meet the expectations of your event,"

"I don't mind the cost," Mamoru flashed another handsome smile at the store-clerk and turned to look at the mannequin again and touched the thick cape, "I think this meets the expectations of what I have in mind—cape and all," he turned to look at her, "Can I try it on?" The young woman nodded, very much surprised "Y-Yes, certainly," she smiled softly, "Right this way, please."

Quickly after the young clerk took Mamoru's measurements and invited him to wait in his dressing room, he was very surprised and not to mention glad to see she wasn't treating him like a spoiled brat wanting something so expensive; she was treating him with much respect and just as she would treat any other client. It was nice to be treated with respect, but he also figured that what he said about the cost of the suit not being a problem for him and the mention of the event at that fancy place might have something to do with it as well, along with the big commission she would get for selling a tuxedo like that. Mamoru knew the trade, he learned that from Mao and his time at the store.

After he was given the fancy clothing pieces, he got dressed and came out of his dressing room and the minute he looked at himself fully dressed, he was immediately washed by an overpowering sense of nostalgia. He felt like he had seen a suit like this one before, a long time ago. Akari, the clerk lady, came soon after with the cape and attached it with two golden clasps on Mamoru's shoulders and stepped back with a soft blush in her cheeks, "Suits you like a glove,"

Mamoru smiled softly, "Strangely, it does,"

"Is there something else you need?"

Mamoru gently tug the jacket of his tuxedo for its lapels and nodded, "Yes—I am going to need a pair of gloves,"

"Gloves, certainly." She nodded and brought him a pair of white gloves made with a thick but very soft cotton blend with a golden button closure. She tilted her head in wonder, "Is the hat of your liking?"

Mamoru's first response would have been no because he didn't wear any sort of hats aside from the occasional time he wore a simple cap or a knitted beanie during the winter when he was a kid but he thought that this time, for what he had in mind, a top hat could be a useful tool to hide his face and give him some sort of anonimity, "Yes, sure—I'll take it too." he chuckled, "I mean, if I am already going all the way with an attire this fancy, I might as well get the complete outfit for future events,"

"That is true," the woman smiled and nodded, "As I mentioned before, this is more on the expensive side but I imagine you can tell why,"

"It's comfortable—despite the vest, the heavy cape, and the bowtie," Mamoru nodded, "I can see why it is worth every penny,"

"Would you like me to take it to the cashier?"

"Yes,"

"Will you pay on credit or in cash?

"Cash,"

"Very well," the lady went to help Mamoru take the cape and jacket off, "You are doing a very good investment,"

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled and walked back to his dressing room to change back into his uniform and handed the lady clerk the other pieces so she could assemble the whole outfit in a special suit bag and take it to the cashier. On his way over, he saw Akita preparing everything and turned to Mamoru to charge the amount for the entire outfit with a nervous look on her face, "The total amount would be *159,842.25 Yen."

"Do you take debit cards?"

The woman's eyes widened when she saw the young man didn't flinch by the amount and nodded, "Y-Yes,"

Mamoru looked for his wallet and handed her his shiny plastic and an ID to prove he was, in fact, the owner of the card. The young clerk looked at it surprised and completed the transaction and handed him a receipt "I would just need your signature, Sir,"

Mamoru blinked and proceeded to sign the voucher with his newfound signature and handed it back to the lady, the noble saleswoman handed him the black suit bag with a smile, "Thank you so much for your purchase, please don't hesitate to come back if you are in need of another suit, I will be glad to assist you,"

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled and walked out the door, still not believing he just bought a hellish expensive tux like it was the most casual thing, "This is so weird..." he mumbled to himself as he looked at his reflection in the glass doors while standing outside the fancy store. With a sigh, he headed back to his apartment and stopped at a red light and waited patiently to cross the street. He looked up and noticed the moon was shining brighter than usual, a clear signal that fall was at its peak. The nights were crisper, a little chillier and if he wasn't for his deep blue uniform blazer, he for sure, would be wearing his ugly green jacket—he might have gone on a stupid whim and bought the most random suit for a ridiculous amount of money but not even then, he was going to give up his good old jacket. As the light turned to green and was safe for him to cross the crowded streets of Azabu Juban he made his way through the many people visiting the area. Despite having moved to the Minato-ku district when he got out of the orphanage and have found the smallest of places in the Azabu area, it could never be compared to where he lived now. The streets were livelier, busier and with much more glam. Azabu Juban was one of the most popular spots in Tokyo and while Mamoru was a much calmer, quiet kind of guy he had to admit that he was getting used to the bright and flashy streets and lovely scenarios.

Mamoru was getting close to his apartment building and turned around the corner of his street when he saw a small store selling costumes for the upcoming Halloween parties. In Japan, the most common version of a Halloween party among young adults is commonly known as Kosupure, where people portray anime, movie, or computer game characters by dressing in uniforms, samurai/ninja costumes, and kimonos. Make-up and masks are also used to portray favorite characters and while cosplay is popular not only during Halloween but also at year-round events, it has spiked some popularity over the years during October. Mamoru was instantly drawn to the many trinkets and detailed items to add to each costume and saw they were selling from very simple attires to much more complex and elaborate costumes, and while he looked around with nothing in mind to buy, he saw something that caught his attention right away and smiled like he had found the missing piece to his plan and went quickly to pay for his newfound item.

O—o—O

After a while, the young man finally made it home and pushed back the heavy door with his foot to close it and went to turn on the dim warm light under the kitchen cabinets and walked to his bedroom carrying his new purchase over his shoulder.

He turned his side lamp on and put the black suit bag on the bed and sat next to it still wondering why he felt so drawn to wear something like this for such utopian purposes but he felt it, the calling. It made his hands tingle and his blood rush in his veins, he wanted to know, he wanted to find her.

Mamoru sighed softly and unzipped the black bag and pulled out the fancy suit and looked at it for a minute before putting it on and once he looked at himself in the mirror he didn't feel as intimidated by it as he felt back at the store anymore while thinking how he was going to do it, either way. Suited or not, he was going to look for other ways to find that crystal. Strangely enough, the suit gave him a boost of confidence, something he really lacked at the time but he much needed to cultivate so he just took a leap of faith and continued with his plan, regardless of the result. He turned to his bed to grab the final piece to his whole outfit, a white eye mask, and put it on in front of the mirror and looked at him in silence to take in this new identity he was making for himself.

A masked man, trapped between two worlds—both eager to exist.

Now he was really paying homage to his childhood nickname and became a real night thief.

O—o—o—o—O

The first couple of weeks were more like a learning curve to his new trade for Mamoru than an actual thievery adventure. He started with small sections around the city to study how buildings were mapped out and learn the local business active hours, when they got new shipments, what they were getting and how valuable they were. It was simple—Mamoru thought, just a matter of memorizing routines. Even though his outfit was not meant to serve such purposes, he liked how the deep black color of his tuxedo and the thick fabric of his cape did an excellent job to disguise himself in the dark and how it made it easier for him to lurk around the alleys and empty streets at night and go unnoticed.

He liked it, to go out and put his stealth skills to the test and it also served him as a good exercise to get rid of any stress from his day. He liked it, this new sense of freedom. He liked to be out where the city was under the spell of the moon and everyone was asleep; he liked to be one with the night and do whatever he wanted. He enjoyed the excitement that was from going building to building and jumping down tall rooftops and trees.

During the day, Mamoru would go on with his day as he normally would, get up very early in the morning for his early run and the added yoga poses to stretch his muscles, go back, put his coffee machine to work, take a shower, get dressed, check his emails for updates for Ikio and many subscriptions he had made for jewelry or department stores that sold jewelry, check he had everything ready for school, had his usual cup of coffee and head out the door. Once done with his usual load of classes and extra-curricular activities, he would always head back but not without taking into detail everything in his surroundings. Mamoru closely studied every corner, every building, every exit or window so he could use it to his advantage to break in; once home he would make himself something to eat, do his homework, study or read for an hour or two to make time until the city went down in slumber so he could put on his dashing suit again and go out to and check out some stores.

At first, he started with small, local places around Juban—nothing too exorbitant and nothing that could give away that there had been an intruder. He would often break in through a window or managed to open a back door; he even learned how to sneak inside through the vent pipes, whatever granted him an easy access and find the silver crystal from his dreams, but to his bad luck, he hadn't found anything even remotely close to the item of his interest giving Mamoru a cue to go after bigger, much more upscale places—but to do this, he needed to step up his thieving game.

The next couple of days he dedicated his afternoons to stroll down the streets and look for better, much more possible places where he could find something so rich and mysterious. If the girl with the hair of moonbeam called it a legendary crystal it must be because either its gleam or size was that, legendary, and then, something clicked in his mind as he stood outside a fancy gallery promoting an exhibition "A collection of lost treasures—the mystery of wealth by Akihito Ushida-Casanova," Mamoru mumbled with wonder and smiled with excitement, "Huh... lost treasures—mystery of wealth? I _have_ to see that."

As soon as the sun came down and the day was more than over, Mamoru got ready to attack his next found objective—The Teien Gallery of History. It didn't take him long to find a proper way to sneak in; while there were security officials in and out of the building, Mamoru's stealthy abilities granted him an advantage that made him go in without being noticed—again, all thanks to his dark-colored tuxedo and long heavy cape. Once in, Mamoru lurked behind the tall pillars inside and sneaked into the first exhibition room as quick and smooth as a cat in an alley. He noticed the security guards only stayed outside the perimeter, giving him more liberty to move around inside the exhibition chambers. The crisp sound of his sleek dress shoes clicked in the marble floors as he walked closer to a long case with many items and looked up to read the brief explanation of them.

 _"Japanese historian and semiotic expert and researcher Akihito Ushida-Casanova—the last part of his surname was added to honor the memory of his late wife— along with a group of specialized researchers from the Museum of Art and History of Italy, have taken the world by storm with a new investigation on strange items and artifacts from different eras that challenge our perception on how humanity has evolved for over more than two millennia. This collection proves there is more for us to know and even makes us wonder about our belief systems with the hints of mythological mystery surrounding them since their origins are still unknown. This is another impeccable, yet, debatable investigation about humanity's history worthy to carry Ushida-Casanova's signature."_

"Items and artifacts," Mamoru mumbled softly and looked down at the many crystal cases, obviously intrigued and amazed by the diversity in them. As he slowly gave himself a little tour around the vast exhibition, he stopped every now and then to make sure he wasn't missing anything that could give him a clue about the crystal he was particularly looking. The collection went from personal items like combs, glass ornaments, letters, feather pens, clothing items among others and by now, Mamoru was starting to feel a little let down for not finding his precious mystical jewel.

He turned around to find the exit again when a special shine inside a crystal case on a pedestal caught his attention. Under a steady stream of dim light, Mamoru looked with deep wonder and curiosity at the shiny objects settled in a deep purple cushion made of fine velvet—a fine golden six-point star pocket watch that seemed to move accordingly with the moon phases hanging from a thin, delicate chain and right next to it, was a golden medallion of a pointed cross settled over a circle and in its center rested a deep blue sapphire stone. The medallion was attached to a deep red silk sash with a gold clasp on its back, clearly meant to be worn around the neck. Not sure why, but the more Mamoru looked at them the more he felt a connection to them. He narrowed his eyes with wonder and confusion when he felt some sort of nostalgia coming from both items and the more he looked, the more he needed to have them in his power. He also found it very strange that none of them had a descriptive card that specified to whom those items belonged to in the past, it didn't say how old they were either, it didn't say anything but their elegance and magnetic beauty spoke for itself.

This was the main reason for him to go all the way with the fanciness and decide to get a pair of gloves so he wouldn't leave any clues or signs that he was there. Mamoru moved closer to the pedestal and lifted with most care the heavy glass cube that was keeping the precious items encased and slowly put in on the floor before leaned down to take them into his possession, but badly for him, he wasn't counting that the items were attached to a silent alarm that now alerting the security guards of his intrusion and robbery.

A hot rush through his veins made him jolt and look up when he heard the hurried steps of more than just one guard running towards the exhibition chamber and quickly turned to look for a quick exit, "Damn it—we almost beat a record," he muttered dryly as he ran towards another door and entered another room.

 _"You're surrounded!"_

 _"No matter where you run, thief! You will be found and captured!"_

 _"We have given notice to the authorities! Come out now! It's too late for you!"_

Mamoru leaned against a wall and looked at the two items in his hands and felt the connection to them becoming, almost like they were trying to tell him something. He closed his deep blue eyes for a minute and had a sudden flash of a palace surrounded by greenery and roses of all colors came to his mind but he couldn't go deep into the vision because he heard the guards coming closer and quickly had to clasp the pocket watch chain in his white vest and put the sash with the medallion on his collar while he looked at the air vent right above him with newfound triumph, "A-ha," he mumbled with success and used another pedestal for support and jumped into it right before the guards walked into the room using their flashlights in a frantic attempt to find him there.

 _"He's gone!"_

 _"He can't be gone! He must be sneaking in another room—let's divide until the police get here,"_

Mamoru looked down through the ventilation grille at the security guards marching from one side to the other and held his breath for a minute so they wouldn't catch him and shoot at him with their firearms.

 _"Akashina, take the east wing—Tokado, take the west wing. Uma will take the entrance and north wing and I'll go south and check the storehouse. We will find that son of a bitch!"_

 _"Yes!"_

After a couple of minutes, Mamoru slowly crawled his way to the end of the ventilation duct and kicked the grille to jump out and find his way to the roof with success. He let out a heavy sigh of relief and quickly hid behind one of the walls facing the street where he heard the many sirens coming closer to the gallery giving him the perfect amount of time to run and jump to the nearest tree and then to another rooftop and wait until he was in the clear. Once he felt safe enough to run away without being noticed he was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected female voice calling out to him.

"I must say, it is quite formidable what you did back there,"

Mamoru stopped mid-track and turned to look over his shoulder at a girl sporting a white sailor shirt with two red stripes on her blue-collar and larger shoulder pads that gave the appearance of armor. At the center of her bow was an orange stone and she had gloves with a smooth orange-yellow band around their top edges that reached her mid-arms and instead of a leotard, she was wearing a midriff shirt that slightly bared her stomach. Her top had short sleeves with a red underside and a white topside that ended in blue cuffs about halfway down her upper arms and her skirt was blue with a red border and wore blue with ankle straps.

"So, a new thief has come into town, huh?" she arched her brow and looked up and down at Mamoru, "A clean and fashionable one—I was not expecting this at all,"

"And you are?" Mamoru frowned, still very much confused by the whole thing. It was crazy enough for him to be living this double life for weeks now and believing he was the only one wandering the streets of Tokyo wearing an unusual attire only to find out there were more like him jumping through rooftops, playing the hero. The blonde girl shook her head slowly "I should be the one asking you that,"

"I don't know," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders carelessly, "I am what I am—you just called me a thief,"

"Well, are you going to deny it?"

"No," Mamoru smiled, "I have my reasons to do this—don't take it personally,"

"The minute you break the law, _I_ take things personally," she pointed her finger at him and narrowed her cornflower blue eyes from behind her red mask, "You better hand me what you took with you if you don't want to get hurt,"

"Sorry, I can't do that—these are mine now." Mamoru kept his handsome smirk intact and waved his hand at her, "I believe this is where we part ways, you do your hero thing while I go look for somet—" his words were cut off by a golden moon boomerang stopping him from continuing and turned to glance at her with annoyance, "Don't interfere,"

"Return those items to me—" Sailor V shook her head, obviously having some sort of deja vu the more she looked at him but decided to ignore it for now, "Hand them over! _Now!_ "

"I am sorry, but, I don't have time for this," Mamoru was about to turn around when he saw the blonde soldier send him a high kick that barely, if not gotten good reflexes and jumped back, had been knocked him down easily, " _Sailor V kick!"_

Mamoru turned to evade her second kick coming and then her _"Sailor V chop!"_ and pulled back quick enough to dodge it as well and jumped high back, putting his impressive balancing skills and all his yoga training to the test, Sailor V shook her head with amazement at his moves, "What are you after?! What do you want?!"

"That is not of your concern," Mamoru narrowed his deep blue eyes, "Like I said, I have my reasons,"

Sailor V was about to say something in response when a loud crash a few blocks away interrupted their little discussion giving Mamoru the perfect opportunity to run away and disappear into the night the same way he appeared. Sailor V widened her eyes and tried to go after him but it was too late, the masked man was already gone; he vanished, right under her watch and she frowned as she shook her head in disbelief, "Could it be...?"

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning Mamoru was grateful it was Saturday, so it meant he could lay back a bit and do some research where his following raid would be. As usual, the young man woke up early—an hour later this time, and went for his daily run at six instead of five, but the rest had pretty gone the same and now he was just waiting for his coffee machine to stop the brewing process taking this as the perfect opportunity to go downstairs and check his mail.

The building where Mamoru lived was mostly occupied by much older people than him, at least his floor, and maybe that was the reason why Ikio had chosen that particular apartment. He knew he had a great value for silence and calmness considering all the things he had to deal in the past plus, noisy neighbors who from time to time he still wondered if he still partied like there was no tomorrow.

Mamoru walked pass the luxury library lounge that gave a gorgeous view of the forest of the Four Seasons garden where many, both guests and residents, would go and enjoy a good moment of peace while reading the paper and finally made it to the residents-only area and looked for his floor and apartment number and used his special key to open his mail compartment. As always and very much expected, many useless ads flooded his space with their bright and colorful discount sheets and promotions, something he was in part guilty because he used all that to find the next place to raid, but he was more than happy to see they came along with the daily paper. Mamoru loved to read the paper, he really was still enjoying his moments of peace so he still hadn't gone into the adventure that was buying a television, he still had plenty books to read and keep him entertained and since he spent most of his day at school and breaking into stores at night, he didn't feel like he needed to buy one just now.

"Good Morning, Chiba-san, isn't it?"

A male voice distracted Mamoru from his curious moment while looking at the market's food deals and turned to look at the man he recognized as the building manager, "Ah, yes, good morning Takahina-san,"

Takahina Seuchi, a man in his early forties—he had been promoted recently to be the building manager and was the one responsible to talk to Ikio when he started the negotiations for his apartment. Mamoru had seen him several times now but since he is always out either very early or very late at night, he hasn't had much chance to talk to the man who seemed to be very friendly and approachable. He smiled and turned to lock some of the mailboxes, "No sleeping in today? It's Saturday—I ask because I have noticed you go out very early every morning every day."

Mamoru chuckled and looked down at the papers in his hands, "I am kind of an early bird—I can't stay in bed for too long, I have no good reason,"

Takahina smiled and looked at the rolled paper in Mamoru's hand, "There are some big news going around today,"

"Excuse me?" Mamoru frowned and looked at the man a little confused, "What do you mean?" He saw Takahina pointing the paper, "Apparently, there was a robbery at an important gallery—a few pieces of value were taken by the mysterious thief," Mamoru widened his ocean blue eyes and blinked a little startled, "Really? A mysterious thief, you say?"

"Yeah, there has been a new thief around causing some great commotion—he's getting some attention and after last night, he's officially on the map. Apparently, he stole some very valuable pieces of jewelry and now the authorities are after him,"

"Ah..." Mamoru nodded, faking surprise, "And, how do people know this person is a _he_?"

"Because he has been caught on a surveillance tape, but nothing too clear—it's all explained in the paper, it's an interesting scoop," Takahina nodded with interest, "I heard about this guy a while ago but he just made the headlines on the news—he is surely building up some reputation under his sleeve, if he got to face the famous Sailor V and get away with it, it's because this guy is good and serious about his job."

"Sailor V?" Mamoru frowned, "Ah... yeah... I heard something about her..."

"She is a super popular heroine—she rounds the streets of Tokyo at night and sometimes works closely with the police. Since this mysterious thief appeared a couple of months ago and started causing some commotion, it appears he has caught her attention and when that happens is because this guy is a serious deal,"

"Well," Mamoru smiled, "I guess we will have to see how all this situation unfolds—I would like to know who this guy is. Haven't heard of him,"

Takahina chuckled, "I was told you are one busy young man, and you haven't been living here for too long, you're practically still new to this building." he smiled, "Are you enjoying your stay so far?"

"Very much, thank you," Mamoru nodded, "This building is very nice and peaceful,"

"Were you living close by before you moved here?"

"Yeah, in Moto-Azabu—still in the Minato-ku district but, it was a much smaller place,"

"I see," Takahina smiled and frowned ever so slightly in wonder, "You're one young man, aren't you?"

"Sixteen—I'll be turning seventeen in a few more months," Mamoru smiled, "I suppose Shimuta-san talked to you about my situation... if you are the person who made deals with him, you were probably informed of the conditions of my stay in this building."

"I do know, yes," Takahina nodded softly, "It was required for the lease contract—we have a very strict format of submission so your name and story came to the surface, but, don't worry, all the information of our residents and guests is classified—no one has to know."

Mamoru tightened his lips and nodded, feeling a little shy about the truth about him; Takahina noticed and chuckled to lighten the mood and made the young man feel more comfortable, "But I must admit I am quite impressed to see you are nothing of who I had in mind—for your young age, you act like a proper adult and have a much more approachable attitude. I have not seen you causing a ruckus like most kids with your age and status do."

"I am not really into any of that, Takahina-san," Mamoru gave the man a sided smile, "I am the boring kind,"

The comment sure made the older man crack a laugh, "Well, that is someone you don't get to meet every day, kids these days are a little complicated,"

"You don't have to worry about that with me," Mamoru chuckled, "I won't be giving you any problems, Takahina-san, I promise."

"Do you have any people to add to your visitor's list? You know, so you wouldn't get bothered every time someone came to visit," Tahakina gave Mamoru a sly smile, "A girlfriend maybe?"

Mamoru felt the comment like if he had been thrown a hot and heavy rock in his face at the mention of a girlfriend because it immediately made him think about Chieko and no matter how much he wanted not to think about what happened between them, it still hurt—eight months later, his pride was still hurt, "No... no girlfriend,"

Takahina blinked with genuine surprise, "Ah, this is surprising—you are a very classy and handsome young man. I am sorry for my intromission-I didn't—"

"It's alright, Takahina-san, I told you, I am the boring kind," Mamoru smiled and waved his head "I don't have anyone to add to my visitor's list—just Shimuta Ikio, beside him, I would like to be notified in case someone else came by,"

Takahina smiled and nodded his head with respect, "Very well, Chiba-san, as you wish. I feel like I have taken too much of your valuable time—I should get back to sort the correspondence, it is always a little hectic at this time of the month,"

"Thank you, Takahina-san," Mamoru nodded, "And you don't steal my time—I believe it has been the other way around,"

"Not at all, Chiba-san, not at all—it was very nice to finally get to talk to you and know you," Takahina waved his hand, "Whatever you need, please don't hesitate to contact me, I will be more than glad to help,"

"I appreciate it, Takahina-san." Mamoru bowed his head "Likewise, if there is anything I can help you with, you know where to find me,"

"Thank you, Chiba-san, have a nice day,"

"You too, Takahina-san,"

-O-

Mamoru walked back into his apartment and quickly unfolded the newspaper over his coffee table, not really caring for his coffee anymore. His deep blue eyes widened when in fact, what Takahina had said about the mysterious thief was right. He had made it on the front page of the newspaper and now everybody apparently, knew of his existence.

 _"A new dashing robber in town!_

 _"Last night at the Tein Gallery of History around 1:00 a.m. a mysterious thief—as for the time being is being cataloged by the authorities as the Mysterious 2098 Face; broke in and took with him some pieces from the historian and semiotics expert, Akihito Ushida-Casanova from his collection of rare items. The value of the pieces around the millions of dollars and while their source of origin is still a mystery they are considered valuable pieces of history and international treasure._

 _The authorities are investigating the motives for Mysterious 2098 Face's motives to steal these pieces, Sailor V was known to be at the scene and after many attempts to try to locate her, there are many facts still unknown._

 _This isn't the first time this peculiar and mysterious handsome robber has made an appearance; for the past three months he has been making his rounds on the streets of Tokyo but he is now being considered a target to look for. Commissioner Sukichi is still investigating the scene and will hold a press conference to address this situation."_

Mamoru leaned his back on the sofa and let out a soft sigh; he ran a hand through his dark hair and bit his lips for a second before giving a quick read at the rest of the article, "Mysterious 2098 Face..." he frowned, "What a complicated name," his eyes quickly landed on the picture of the heroine he met the night before and narrowed his eyes as he remembered the brief conversation they had before she started to attack him, "Sailor V..." he mumbled with wonder, "Why do I have the feeling that I have heard that name before?" he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Why?"

O—o—o—o—O

With the quick passing of time, the now called _Mysterious 2098 Face_ had turned out to become quite a cult character that was wanted to be found not only by the police but newly vigilantes that had grown obsessed with the idea of a thief so smooth and skilled it was impossible to find and catch. The dashing thief in black still made the headlines from time to time with a new apparition or break in but the surprising part was that after the items were stolen from the gallery, ones the police was still trying to find and recover, he hasn't really taken any more items of value making his whole existence much more complicated because no one really knew what motives he had to break in and rummage through the many safes and vaults from every high-end store. If there was something stolen, fortunately for the police and thanks to Sailor V's intervention, who had more run-ins with the masked thief, they were able to get back the valuable loot, meaning he was after something much more significant giving him a higher rank in the most wanted list of Tokyo Police.

Mamoru continued living his life like if that part of being a most wanted thief didn't exist. By now, he had memorized every alley, every exit, every shortcut to free the police and Sailor V like the palm of his hand and even found it strange when he started noticing it had been a while since they met and had their usual bickering over the loot he had stolen or the places he had broken in.

The young man had to admit he was quite relieved the pressure of him being found was a little overshadowed by some strange activity that has been happening in the outskirts of Tokyo that kept the blonde heroine quite busy giving him more time to think of a better strategic-plan for his next raid. Mamoru looked up from his seat on the sofa and watched out the large panoramic windows at the dark cloudy sky and sighed, "It's raining... again..." he shook his head and preferred to focus on the document he was working on in his laptop when a sudden knock on his door startled him and quickly went to open, despite already knowing who was at the other side. "Good afternoon, Ikio,"

Ikio smiled at the young man and walked into the apartment wearing a much more casual outfit consisting of a classic white shirt and dark jeans; something really different to see since he was always wearing fancy suits and ties. "Good afternoon, Mamoru," he looked around and frowned, "You alone?"

Mamoru turned to walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water and looked over his shoulder with an annoyed glance, one Ikio immediately understood and made him crack a chuckle, "With you, one never knows anymore, you're a mystery, that's why I am asking,"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mamoru frowned and let a soft sigh as he turned to look at him, "Anyway, can I offer you something to drink?"

"I highly doubt you have any liquor around, so, water should be fine," Ikio walked to the still very much empty living room and sighed, "Seriously, Mamoru—you need to start furnishing this place, it's been a year." Mamoru sighed and walked back into the living room, he handed Ikio the glass of water and reclaimed his seat at one end of his sofa, "What's wrong with it?"

"You don't even have a television," Ikio sat at the opposite end of the sofa and took a sip of water, "What do you do all day?"

"Read, I do my homework—take a nap every now and then. I like my peace and quiet." Mamoru continued typing "I am comfortable,"

"Well, as long as you are comfortable, I suppose that's alright."

"So, liquor... at this time of day?" Mamoru arched a brow, "That's strange—even for you."

"Hmm..." Ikio took another sip of water and put the tall glass on the coffee table, "It has been a little more hectic than usual—that is all I can say,"

Mamoru stopped typing, he quickly knew what he meant. He turned to Ikio and took a deep breath, "She is giving you a hard time?" Ikio turned and sighed heavily, "I know I shouldn't bring this topic up, not with you, so I'll just say it's been hectic..."

"I don't mind Ikio," Mamoru closed his laptop and put it on the coffee table and turned to give his full attention to the older man, "It's been almost a year and a half since then—I think it goes without saying that I'm already someplace else in my life. Whatever she decides to do with her life is not my problem anymore, as awful as that sounds."

"True, it's not your problem—" Ikio nodded and leaned to grab his glass of water to take another sip, "But it's still mine." He sighed heavily, "She is having a hard time accepting and facing the difficulties that come with age—that stage in your life where you get more no's than yes's."

"Ah..." Mamoru sighed and looked away, "Well, what can I say... life has been a bit bizarre to me,"

Ikio nodded, "I can't argue that with you," he turned to the young man and smiled, "Well, I am not here to talk about my daughter. I thought it would be nice to make our monthly meeting a bit more casual and relaxed and go out to have dinner. There are some things we need to talk about."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Ikio, are you doing this because today it's August 3rd?"

Ikio blinked a couple of times in silence and shook his head, trying his best to sound cool, "...No,"

"No?"

"No,"

Mamoru arched his brow, "Seriously, you don't need to feel like you have to do something for my birthday."

"I am not," Ikio shook his head defensively, "Mamoru, I wear suits all week—this is the only time I get to be and feel normal. Let's go out and have some dinner, we still need to discuss some business—this isn't a celebration, it's work."

"What about Akane-san... and your daughter, shouldn't you go out and have dinner with them instead of me?"

"Akane is out of town for the weekend, there is this new spa that opened in Osaka and my daughter went with her."

Mamoru sighed, "Alright, alright..." he pushed himself off the sofa and walked to his bedroom, "I'll go get a pair of shoes and an umbrella since it started to rain—again."

"Although, you were born—"

"On a very sunny day—I know, you've told me... many times." Mamoru walked back wearing his now favorite green ugly jacket over his black t-shirt; his washed jeans paired with his classic black and white converse. "Well, it's been now ten years since then, so that changed too."

"Someday, the sun will come out again," Ikio patted the young man's shoulder as he walked out the door, followed by Mamoru, "Yeah—I kind am growing fond of the idea of this day being the same every year, that way I shouldn't expect anything from it."

"Your gloominess still surprises me up to this day, young man," Ikio muttered as they walked out of the building and got inside Ikio's car. Mamoru leaned back in his seat and sighed, "I am what I am Ikio, it's kind of late to change my belief system."

"That you are right, but, you can always improve and see life in a better perspective—who knows, you might be surprised," Ikio took a quick glance at his rear-view mirror and changed lanes, "What would she think of you if she could hear you speak that way?"

Mamoru smiled sadly, knowing exactly who Ikio was talking about, "She would be glad to know that I have thickened my skin,"

"Have you gone back there?"

"No,"

"How come?"

"The same reason I haven't visited the place where my parent's ashes were put to rest,"

"Why?"

"Because it's sad..." Mamoru sighed and looked out his window, "And it still hurts—to know I have lost many people in my life, it hurts. I miss her. She was tough on me but she also saved my life, many times. I will always be grateful."

"She knew this side of you, right?" Ikio arched his brow, "Did you ever tell her?"

"Of me having all this uncommon wealth?" Mamoru turned to look at the man behind the wheel with a wry glance, "She knew there was something else going on with me, but not even I knew how much my parents inherited to me, so, we both knew half of this truth."

"And her family? Have you visited them lately?"

"Last week—I went to see the girls and her husband. He is still grieving her passing... it's heartbreaking. The girls are doing the best they can to cheer him up, they are growing up very fast—I am sure they will take over the store in honor of their mother when they get older. They are so much like her."

"That's good." Ikio nodded and parked outside the valet of the Shinjuku Park Tower; Mamoru pursed his lips and turned to the older man a little annoyed by his choice, "Really? _Here?_ "

"What? The Kozue is my favorite place to eat—I am not doing this for you Mamoru, I really am hungry."

Mamoru sighed, "Well, you proved me right..." he turned to open his door and stepped out of the car and waited for Ikio to give his silver Mercedes' keys to the valet and walked inside the fancy building. They took the elevator that would take them to the very top of the building where the very exclusive and fancy restaurant was located, giving one of the best views in all of Tokyo. As soon as the elevator doors opened both men were greeted by a beautiful hostess "Good afternoon, Shimuta-san, same table?" Ikio gave the young woman a polite smile and nodded, "Same table, Uda-san." The hostess nodded and allowed them to walk inside, "Follow me, please,"

As they walked to their table, Mamoru couldn't help to notice the surprised glances from many of the diners gathered, all part of the high social class of Japan. Ikio couldn't avoid greeting a few people here and there and finally took his usual chair at his usual table.

"Can I offer you and your guest something to drink, Shimuta-san?" The young woman asked softly, Ikio nodded effusively and turned to look at her, "Bring me a small bottle of warm sake," the hostess nodded and turned to Mamoru with the same polite smile, "And for you Sir?"

"Just water, thanks."

"Right away—your server will be here any minute now. If there is something else I can assist you with, Shimuta-san, please let me know."

"Thank you, Uda-san,"

"Excuse me," the beautiful hostess bowed her head and walked away, giving both men some privacy. Ikio put his phone on the table and arched his brow, "Water?"

"I am not a heavy drinker like you are, Ikio, plus, sake gives me headaches," Mamoru gave the man a wry smile. Over the last year and a half, Ikio has noticed a big growth of character in Mamoru; one that proved that he had, in fact, thickened his skin and that he was not as innocent and naïve as he used to be when he first lived on his own and worked at the store. Mao's words made sense to him; the once boy with a broken spirit was slowly becoming a man in his own right, one that was learning the ways of life and how to stand up for himself. He had become a little more sarcastic, a little more hermetic and cold but he knew that it was just a mechanism to protect himself—a filter to push away whoever didn't bring anything positive or productive to his life. Chiba Mamoru had learned to be mechanic and practical, calculating in a way that he knew what he wanted, he knew what to aim for and how to speak his mind with class and elegance. At his seventeen years of age, he was much more mature and charming than most men his age and it impressed him to witness with how much grace he was handling it all.

Mamoru was impressively intelligent and has been very open to learning some important trades of the financial world despite not being interested in pursuing that as a professional career. He took his legacy very seriously as way to honor his late parent's memory, it was like he said in his many meetings with him and some members of the firm: Just because he was young it didn't mean he didn't understand, and just because he was not a professional in finances it didn't mean he couldn't give his opinion on the matter and make a right choice that could benefit others in the future.

Ikio had never let his back and surprisingly for everyone, the young man was brilliant and level-headed when it came to making a decision and with the help of his legal and financial advice, Mamoru was truly proving he was Natsuo's son and that he had every right to look at them straight in the eye without faltering as a true member of the Chiba family. He had become very responsible for his life too. At first, he was expecting to see the young man have a few missteps here and there once he started granting him access to his flow of money but he was really surprised to see his balance hadn't been corrupted, nor his principles, and the pride that once was shattered to pieces was now back stronger than ever. The young man was also becoming quite handsome, he was very attractive. He still had some boyish features and gestures whenever he allowed himself get a little lose and laugh or crack a chuckle but he was nurturing this elegant, mysterious vibe around him that his mere presence was magnetic to others. He attracted attention, of both men and women, because no one would expect such maturity from a young adult, but he had to learn to be like that and quickly enough, he had mastered the skill in order to be taken seriously.

"So..." Mamoru took the menu offered by their server who quietly put their beverages in front of them over a fancy white marble coaster, "What business do you want to talk about with me?"

"Well," Ikio closed his menu and put it aside, "Since you are officially my client, I am obliged to talk to you about your assets on a regular basis and advice you on what would be a good decision for you to make. The stocks are flowing with steady numbers but it won't be long until a new investment will be required to stay on the game against the foreign financial companies." Mamoru looked at Ikio and narrowed his deep blue eyes, "You are telling me this despite knowing I cannot make any further decisions because of my age?"

"That is what I wanted to talk to you about," Ikio nodded, "You are seventeen years old now, Mamoru, at your young age you have accomplished very interesting goals in your short adult life. I can say with certainty that you have surpassed every expectation a normal boy your age has and even men of my age. You have surpassed my own expectations and I am very proud of you. Since you were at the orphanage and you talked to me about your life plans I knew you were your own force to reckon with, which brings us to today with this important matter—you have proven that you have what it takes to finally get full access to your inheritance. I can make the necessary arrangements and paperwork to settle that as soon as possible—that, if you agree of course."

"I see..." Mamoru leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, Ikio arched his brow "Are you ready to take full control and responsibility for it?"

"I have little to no margin of error on this, Ikio, if you believe I am ready and that it is time for me to sign the necessary paperwork, then I will trust your good judgment."

"I do," Ikio nodded, "I truly do—and I will be in every step of the way,"

Mamoru pressed his lips together and nodded, "Well then, if it is not going to be a problem, let's start with the necessary procedures and move on." he sighed, "I want to move past this—it's time."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru stood by his bedroom window wearing only his tuxedo as he looked outside the city, gladly for him, his elegant attire had come in handy in moments like these when Ikio had asked him to go with him to elegant white-tie parties—the kind that made easy to close business deals so Mamoru could see his knowledge skills and persuasive abilities in action so he could learn more tricks of the trade and grow his experience. Mamoru had to take a short break from going on his hunt for the silver crystal now that the existence of the _Mysterious 2098 Face_ had become quite a phenomenon around Tokyo and people were getting more obsessed with his capture and find out his identity and with the new strange events happening more and more often, he felt like he needed to take a step back and re-think his options.

Ever since that robbery at the gallery his fate had changed and gave him a new status he wasn't even expecting to have because it all started with a silly idea of going at night to feed his own obsession to find the legendary silver crystal and the girl with the hair of moonbeam. His dream had become more intense with the passing of time, almost as if she was urging him to do whatever it takes to find it—almost like he was trying to warn him that something else was going to happen. For some reason, finding the crystal has become more of a matter of life or death to him because it could detonate a serious breaking point in his life—he felt it tingling in the back of his mind.

"The Legendary Silver Crystal..." Mamoru mumbled as he looked at the city view and locked his blue gaze on Tokyo Tower and sighed softly while thinking this would be a good day to look for it earlier than usual, "I need to know what that is..." he narrowed his deep blue eyes, "If I ever want to find out who I am... I need to find that crystal... and I need to find _you_." with a soft and releasing sigh, Mamoru looked down at the paper ad of the Osa-P high-end jewelry store that had just opened in Juban just little over a month ago and turned to grab his dark sunglasses before heading out the door thinking he might have to give that store a visit later in the afternoon.

It took a couple of hours to settle the investment Ikio mentioned Mamoru weeks before over his non-birthday dinner meeting and he was finally pleased to be out of that room full of pretentious people. He was a little sick of the strong smell of cigars and whiskey and felt like he needed some fresh air to cool his head and sort his ideas so he asked Ikio to drop him close to Juban and that he would walk home. At first, he had second thoughts on going almost full clad in the middle of the day but gladly he wasn't wearing either the stolen medallion or the pocket watch, so, he could easily find a way to get away with it without looking like the famous thief, besides, he thought, in this popular area in Azabu Juban, it was not too surprising to see a guy wearing formal wear due to the exclusivity of the district.

Mamoru put his dark sunglasses on and continued walking without paying attention to the many glances and breaths he stole from many girls passing by or eating at the small terraces of the line of cafes down the sidewalk. Many people would have guessed it, that he was the real Mysterious 2098 Face thief but he had built up such a strong reputation that he was one smart thief, that people immediately dismissed the possibility the minute they noticed he wasn't wearing either of the two famous items he stole and never returned to the authorities and since it's been a while since he made the headlines on the news, some even started to believed he had cashed a good fortune for them and was living in the Caribbean or someplace warm and nice.

Fall was finally making its way back, bringing that familiar nostalgic feel to his life. He couldn't help it, whenever the weather started to change to a more breezy and cool condition in the afternoon, he would always think of his days as a simple clerk boy at a local market. Despite having been a very hectic and defying year in his life, he had enjoyed it. He remembered with endearment the nights Mao invited him over to have dinner with her and her family and when he stayed to babysit little Tao and Mei. He smiled whenever he remembered Mei's sweet singsong voice calling him her favorite _oniisan_ despite not having another brotherly figure. Those were the things he kept close to his heart and lately, he has been keeping them pulsing vividly in his mind; as he continued walking, a small smile graced his lips when he spotted his next target, he started to look at his surroundings when he heard a singsong-like voice mumbling in the short distance, _"I should go home!"_ followed by a crumbled piece of paper thrown right at his face; Mamoru frowned a little annoyed by the sudden rude behavior of this person throwing trash on the streets and took the crumpled piece of paper away from his face, "Hey, you hit me, Miss Bun Head—are you gonna make bumps on my head too?"

The culprit quickly turned fuming with annoyance and raised her voice at him, "Excuse me, they are not bumps! It's a hairstyle!"

Mamoru wasn't paying much attention to the person arguing behind the crumbled piece of paper he had in his hand and immediately felt appalled by the gigantic low grade written on the right corner with red marker, how could someone get such low grades was beyond him—it looked so simple compared to what he was often demanded to learn at school, "Thirty percent..." he took a deep breath and lay the failed test over the girl's face casually, "You need to study harder, Miss Odango Atama,"

The girl, now more exasperated by his blunt and informal approach took the test of her face and looked up at him with an angry glare, "Mind your own business!"

Mamoru's deep blue eyes widened behind his dark glasses when he saw the girl arguing with him had a beauty impossible to ignore and literally felt his heart had skipped more than one beat. She had the most beautiful crystal blue eyes he's ever seen, porcelain skin and delicate pouty lips. Her long silver-blonde hair, the way it fell from the two buns at the top of her head made him think immediately in the warm rays of the sun during summer—it looked so shiny and silky. She was wearing a uniform that clearly stated that she was still in junior high, maybe in her second year—he couldn't guess.

The girl, on the other side, was completely frozen in place with her cheeks blushed like two sweet peaches as she looked up at him. They stayed in silence, both dealing with this strange but very intense vibe flowing between them and Mamoru couldn't help to part his lips in awe. He couldn't say anything else, his breath was literally taken away and those words he never thought could happen to him echoed in his mind as he remembered that day when he was trying to figure out what to do with his life.

 _"I promise you with all my heart, that you will find that person you are looking for... you won't even need to wait to find out if she is the one, you'll know it right away because she will take your breath away."_

After a couple of minutes of pure silence, the girl finally broke the moment between them and turned on her heel and walked away only for a second until she remembered she had forgotten her school bag and quickly went back to get before turning away again. Mamoru looked at her still a little dumbfounded and arched his brow when he heard she started rambling as she walked away. _"Who the hell wears a tuxedo in the afternoon?! What a show-off!"_

Mamoru let out a soft sigh and turned to look at the fancy building in front of him and smirked with confidence as he took off his dark shades, "This is a big jewelry shop... they might have it—the Legendary Silver Crystal."

O—o—O

A while after Mamoru finally got home and passed over the kitchen without even thinking on making himself something to eat. It was his usual time to have dinner but this day had been particularly more exhausting for him than usual; he pushed his bedroom door open and went to lay on his bed carelessly and kept his deep blue eyes fixed on the ceiling while his mind still swirled around the image of the girl with two buns at the top of her head looking at him intensely with those beautiful crystal-blue eyes of hers, "Miss Odango Atama..." he muttered and smiled softly, "What an unusual hairstyle... what an unusual girl..."

On his way back, Mamoru started feeling a little lightheaded, thinking he was still under the effects of the heavy smoke he swallowed back at that meeting with Ikio—he felt disgusted and dizzy. For a moment he considered if it was a good idea to postpone his return as Mysterious 2098 Face for another day but he there was an uneasy feeling creeping in the pit of his stomach that was urging him to go back to that jewelry store. He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily several times to try and get rid of that strange feeling heavy in his chest and turned to look out the window at the night sky, thinking it was almost time to go out again.

After an hour or so later, Mamoru finally got up from his bed and went to put on his cape, mask, medallion and pocket watch again, silently reclaiming his title of the mysterious thief and went to take his usual way out by the fire escape and immediately got lost in the darkness of the sleeping city. Usually at that time of the night, he knew it was easier for him to walk down the street and go unnoticed since everything around that block was already closed for the day; his steady steps echoed in the empty streets as he came closer to the tall building and looked at it for a minute to study how to break in.

He walked around the corner into an alley and jumped high to get a grip at the fire escape and with the most delicate and very well-learned technique, he forced a window open and jumped inside of what he realized was on a third floor; his blue eyes narrowed when he saw something strange moving around the glass showcases and noticed she was holding some sort of a recipient with a beaming light floating inside.

 _"Stupid humans... they all have no idea that their jewelry is absorbing their energy. But it seems the one I seek is not here either..."_

Mamoru frowned when he noticed the woman was moving strange, almost as if she wasn't human and quickly after he saw another girl walk into the room, calling the woman her mother. He studied the situation and thought if it was better to send an alert to the police, since Sailor V had gone missing way before he had there was no chance he could contact her; Mamoru widened his eyes when he heard the woman said in a very cold voice that her mother was unconscious in the basement and soon after morphed into a demon-looking creature making the girl scream terrified.

Mamoru felt urged to help the girl and right when he was about to jump to her rescue he heard another person run into the building with determination and leaned behind the wall, "Stay away from Naru-chan! You monstrous old hag!"

He jerked his head to look down and widened his eyes when he saw a girl, wearing a sailor suit similar to the one Sailor V wore. He heard the demon woman ask her quickly who she was to what she hesitated first, not knowing how to introduce herself. "Uh, me? Well..." she said and turned to her black cat companion, who mewed and sparked the confidence she needed to go forward with her plan, "I am the Pretty Soldier in a sailor suit Guardian of Love and Justice—Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon—I'll punish you!"

"Sailor Moon? Another Sailor Soldier?" Mamoru frowned, now feeling completely in awe and intrigued by this new heroine and kneeled to study how she'll handle the enemy while thinking she looked nothing like Sailor V, who he had faced several times in the past. After another exchange of words, the demon woman claimed she had never heard of her and summoned with the power she held in her hands at the people possessed by the curse she had put on the jewelry and in a matter of seconds, they appeared straight to attack the sailor-suited soldier of justice.

With a confused frown, he watched her run around the first floor trying her best to evade the possessed people's attacks; her sudden confidence was quickly supplanted by panic and fear as she was being surrounded by a large crowd of hostile people and in a burst of desperation she burst into tears and started crying loudly making her enemies stop abruptly by the intensity of the ultrasonic waves that came out of her, shattering many windows and glass cases all over. Mamoru gritted his teeth and brought his gloved hands to cover his ears but he knew that if she didn't stop, she could end up bursting everyone's heads so he took this as an opportunity to step in and give the sailor-suited soldier some moral support, "Stop crying! Do it now, Sailor Moon!"

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and turned to look around to find the owner of that voice and then turned to the black cat that was giving her the right instructions to beat the enemy. After regaining that same confidence, she brought a hand up to her forehead and activated the jewel turning into a boomerang and shouted out loud, _"Moon Tiara Boomerang!"_

Mamoru was genuinely impressed by the amount of power coming from the sailor-suited soldier and smiled with triumph when he saw the demon-woman was turned into dust and the people that were possessed were starting to come back to normal. He arched his brow as he considered it was better if he stepped back and officially postponed his return for the night and looked down at the girl trying to help the victims, "I couldn't find the Legendary Silver Crystal, but I won't deny I saw something very interesting instead..." he smiled and pulled his cape with him as he turned to jump out of the building. As he landed on a light pole, he saw Sailor Moon running to catch up with him and turned to look at her with a charming smile; this was the moment when he felt it was time to set things straight and give his mysterious alter ego an identity, a name much easier to remember—he didn't like to have a code for name anyways, "I am Tuxedo Kamen—Sailor Moon, I will remember your name." and just like that, he was again lost in the darkness of the night while having a strong feeling that this was not going to be the last time they met—and he couldn't wait to see what she was going to do next.

* * *

 _A/N - Fun facts! The whole concept of a dashing man wearing a tuxedo did come from the inspiration behind the famous series of the French handsome thief, Arséne Lupin_. _The initial name for Tuxedo Kamen was intended to be_ _Mysterious 2098 Face_ _in the series but Naoko Takeuchi turned the idea down so I took that as an inspiration for his early crimes and named him that as a way to honor her initial idea._

 _*_ _159,842.25 Yen = $1,500 USD_

 _There is a list of image references where I took the inspiration for this chapter, mostly images of the building and apartment where Mamoru lives but the website does not allow me to put the links in my notes. If interested, send me a message and I can send the links to you._

 _*I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.*_


	7. The sweetest cup of coffee

Divinity: A day in the life

 _The sweetest cup of coffee - Extra chapter_

* * *

The crisp sound of cutlery and plates along with the many inaudible conversations greeted Mamoru as soon as he walked past the crystal doors of the Crown Parlor. It was a Wednesday, and clearly, a very busy day as he watched the waitresses coming and going from table to table taking orders, cleaning tables and serving others in an almost automatic fashion and a very practiced patience and friendly attitude.

He stood there for a couple of minutes not sure what was he doing there, or, better said, why did he agree to be there in the first place. Mamoru frowned slightly when he saw there wasn't literally a single vacant chair for him to take and reconsidered his decision on coming there since he wasn't too fond of being in crowded places. Mamoru tightened his grip on the handle of his school bag and decided it was best if he better left his little outing for some other day when a red-haired girl approached him with a big smile on her face, "Hello! Welcome to the Crown Parlor!" Mamoru looked at her and gave her a weak smile, "Hi..."

"Are you looking for someone in particular?"

"No, I am not meeting anyone just..." he pursed his lips and looked around, "I was looking for a place for myself." He exhaled softly, "But I guess you're full."

"That's no problem! We have seats available at the bar." the girl, Mamoru guessed she was probably sixteen, smiled warmly at him and tried her best to hide the intense blush on her cheeks, "Though, it's a little secluded from the rest,"

"That's okay," Mamoru smiled with a little relief, "That's not a problem for me,"

"Alrighty! Come with me!" The girl wearing an orange dress with white stripes and pink apron led Mamoru to the end of the long wooden bar at the very back of the parlor and handed him an over-sized menu with many sweet options, "Would you like to order something to drink first?"

"Actually..." Mamoru slid the menu aside and smiled at the girl, "I was told the coffee here was worth trying, so, I am just here to see if the hype is true." The girl chuckled, "Okay, one cup of coffee right up—Oniisan! Coffee!"

Mamoru smiled politely and put his bag on the stool next to him and looked around at the busy parlor with curious eyes; it hadn't been long since he moved to his apartment and while he knew Azabu Juban was very hyped and popular not to mention a very up-scale lively district, this was the first time he had actually taken the time to really explore and experience what it's like to live in a place like this. Due to his background, all he knew up until now were snobbish places he had opted to ignore because it didn't reflect what he really cared about. He had to admit doing this was a whole different experience, for starters, he would never have gone into an arcade just to see what the fuzz was about but since the last couple of weeks have been a little too hectic for him between his demanding classes at school and his nightly routine of going incognito in a suit looking for a secret treasure he felt he needed to de-stress, although, he wasn't sure why coming to such crowded place was the right way to go.

"Hey, you came!"

Mamoru turned to see a tall blonde man grinning at him and quickly recognized he was the same one working at the arcade. "Hey—" Mamoru blinked a little ashamed for not remembering the guy's name. The blonde chuckled and leaned closer from the other side of the counter, "Furuhata Motoki,"

"Right! Right—Motoki-san, I'm sorry," Mamoru smiled and shook his hand, "My memory isn't the best... I'm sorry,"

"Don't worry about it," Motoki waved his hand, "It's cool, I actually didn't get your name last time we spoke,"

"I guess we're even then," the dark-haired answered chuckled lightly, "Chiba Mamoru,"

"Nice to meet you," Motoki chuckled, "So, Mamoru-san, what can I get you?"

"Just a cup of coffee," Mamoru smiled, "You insisted so much the other day, I had to come and see if your claims are true,"

"What can I say? I recognize those who like to drink coffee as much as I do—call it a gift," Motoki chuckled and turned to grab a white cup and put it in front of the dark-haired young man, "And we do serve some pretty good coffee here, so, I had to let you know," Motoki arched his brow with a knowing smile, "I am guessing no decaf for you?"

"I don't consider decaf coffee—coffee, to be honest," Mamoru smiled; Motoki chuckled with a nod, "Yeah, I figured. Cream?"

"No,"

"Sugar?"

"No,"

"Milk?"

"No,"

"Black coffee."

"Straight up, black coffee."

"Wow," Motoki smirked, "You're serious about coffee then." Mamoru chuckled, "Yeah, you could say that." he looked down at the dark liquid filling his cup and looked up at Motoki, "So, you work here too?"

Motoki nodded and put the hot coffee pitcher back to the coffee station and leaned on the counter, "My family owns this business—the arcade too." He smiled, "I usually spend more time at the arcade but there are times extra hands are needed here so, I come and give my little sister and mom a hand at serving the bar from time to time, waiting tables is not really my thing."

"Is it always this crowded?"

"Most of the time. It's has become quite popular," Motoki smiled and nodded, "Which is good,"

"It is," Mamoru smiled and took his cup to take his first sip and arched his brow after a second, "Huh, you were not kidding when you said the coffee here is good."

"I told you." Motoki chuckled, "I am not joking around—all of the time."

"I see," Mamoru chuckled and put his cup down, "Although, it's strange for me to get invited for coffee so out of the blue. Not that I mind, because it's good coffee, but, we barely know each other..."

"Well, for starters, you look like you're new in the neighborhood, so I was trying to bring more customers here," Mamoru arched both brows in awe and smiled, "Ah, I see what you did there—smart move."

Motoki laughed and pointed the cup, "More?" Mamoru nodded, "Yes, thank you." Motoki turned to grab the coffee pitcher again and filled the cup and put it back. Mamoru took another small sip, "But you're not mistaken, I moved here recently, about... eight months ago or so,"

"Ah, see? I knew you were new to this neighborhood. Where did you use to live?" Motoki served himself a cup of coffee too and took a quick sip after concocting his perfect blend, Mamoru put his cup down, "Not too far—Moto Azabu,"

"And it seems you go to a very exclusive school—given that uniform you're wearing,"

"Ah… yeah..." Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and frowned, "You're not a high school student, right?"

"No, college student. I go to Keio," Motoki smiled, "I just started Med School—although, that's not what my family was truly expecting me to do because well, the family business and all..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, trust me." Mamoru smiled, "I want to go to Med School next year too,"

"Awesome!" Motoki smiled, "At Keio?"

"Yeah," Mamoru nodded, "I am applying for a scholarship there too so we'll see what happens."

"That's great! Ah well... if you got into Moto Azabu, you can easily score an entrance at Keio," Motoki grinned with excitement, "Hey, if you need any help, feel free to ask,"

"Thanks," Mamoru smiled. Motoki took another sip of his coffee, "So, I've seen you're friends with Usagi-chan,"

"Who?" Mamoru frowned confused, Motoki arched his brow, "Usagi-chan,"

"Uh... I'm sorry, I don't think I am following..." Mamoru shook his head and narrowed his blue eyes, "Are you sure you're talking to the right person?"

"I am _pretty_ sure," Motoki laughed, "I've seen you talking to her lately."

"Uh..." Mamoru shook his head, "I am very confused right now, I don't know who you are talking about,"

"Sure you do—long blonde hair, big clear blue eyes... petite, she wears two buns at the top of her head..." Motoki chuckled when he saw Mamoru's deep blue eyes widen with realization, "Ah see? You do know who I am talking about,"

"Miss Bun Head?" Mamoru blinked, "That's who you are referring to?"

"That's how you call her?"

"Yes…" Mamoru gave Motoki a shy smile and frowned with clear interest, "What was her name again?"

"Tsukino Usagi,"

"Oh, so there is a reason why she has buns on her head then, she's a moon bunny, I see..." Mamoru said with studied awe; Motoki chuckled and arched his brow "Oh, so you really didn't know her name,"

"Didn't know until now… I don't know her, really," Mamoru answered casually and took another sip of his coffee, "We have coincided a few times lately, yes, but I wouldn't dare to say we're friends."

"Huh, that's interesting..."

"What?"

"I thought you were,"

"Friends?"

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"Because the few times I've seen you talking it looks like you two know each other very well. I can't really put it into words but there's always this strong vibe going on between you two, you're always so... I don't know, intense."

"Intense?" Mamoru chuckled, "Ah… well, maybe there's more to that intensity you mention," Mamoru took another sip of his coffee leaving Motoki wondering with genuine curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"I don't think she wants to be friends with me."

"Why not? You seem like a nice guy," Motoki gave the dark-haired man a puzzled look, "Thanks..." Mamoru put his cup down and looked at him, "Let's just say we started off on the wrong foot,"

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"Huh, that's weird," Motoki bit his lower lip, "Usagi-chan is a very nice girl and she's very friendly and approachable,"

"I don't blame her," Mamoru sighed softly as he put his cup down, "To be honest, I think it's best for her to stay at bay and not be friends with me,"

"Why?" Motoki channeled his brotherly side and narrowed his eyes at Mamoru, "Are you bad news?"

"More like the boring kind," Mamoru shrugged one shoulder carelessly, "I am kind of a loner and as I've been told on various occasions, a nerd."

"Ah, I see… so there is more to that mysterious vibe you have going on," Motoki smiled with relief, Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and cracked a chuckle, "I suppose."

Motoki leaned his arms on the counter ready to put his two-cents on the matter and give Mamoru a brotherly piece of advice, "Well, I think—"

"—Oniisan," the same red-haired girl that greeted Mamoru when he walked into the parlor walked over to Motoki with a soft grin, "Dad wants to see you in his office, he wants to know if the new merchandise for the arcade will arrive—" she turned to Mamoru and then back to Motoki and widened her eyes with surprise, "Oh, you two know each other?"

"Yeah," Motoki smiled, "This is Chiba Mamoru,"

"Oh, hi!" the girl smiled and leaned closer to shake Mamoru's hand in the same friendly and carefree fashion Motoki did a while ago while trying her best not to blush again, "I'm Motoki's younger sister, Unazuki," Motoki sweatdropped, "You had to mention you were younger, didn't you?"

Unazuki laughed back, "Well duh, of course!"

Mamoru watched the sibling's playful nature and smiled warmly, "It's nice to meet you, Unazuki-san,"

"You too, Mamoru-san," Unazuki smiled, "You're new to this place, right? I have never seen you come here before."

"You could say I'm new, yes," Mamoru chuckled, "But you'll start seeing me here more often, the hype is real, the coffee is very good."

"Ah, that's great!" Unazuki chuckled, "I'm sure my big brother had to do something with that hype you mention,"

"Of course. It was a recommendation from one coffee drinker to another," Motoki smiled and turned to his sister, "So… you say _he_ wants to see me in his office?"

The red-haired girl nodded but before she could answer she was interrupted by a customer ready to pay for the order and quickly dashed to take over the cashier. Motoki sighed with slight annoyance and turned to Mamoru with an apologetic smile, "Ah, I'm sorry man, I gotta go, but I hope to see you here more often,"

"I'll take your word and come here more often to get some coffee," Mamoru gave his new friend a complicit side smile and took another sip of his black coffee, "It was nice meeting you again, Motoki-san,"

"You too, Mamoru-san, see you around," Motoki smiled and walked away leaving Mamoru alone with his half-full cup of coffee. He turned to give the lively parlor another quick glance and turned to mind his own business and take another sip of coffee again when a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts and immediately caught his attention. He slightly turned to look over his shoulder and confirmed his suspicions were true and that it was in fact, Usagi, the one talking excitedly to her friends and completely entranced in what a red-head was talking about in a booth a few feet away from the bar.

Up until now, Mamoru hadn't really had the opportunity to appreciate her adorable perks and beauty while thinking on the words Motoki used to describe the girl and came to the conclusion that any of them do her any justice; what he was seeing was different—much more special and unique. There was something about her that made him feel completely drawn to her, something that flowed from underneath the obvious beauty behind her smile so sweet and gentle; her sparkling blue eyes framed with long and dark lashes, her shiny blonde hair or her rosy cheeks and porcelain skin. It was the way she moved, her gestures, how she nodded effusively with excitement when something made her happy and the playful laugh she has; the sweet tone of her voice and the way she easily made everyone around her smile—that was it, he thought with resolution, she made everyone smile.

Over the past few weeks, they have been running into each other, with some of those events truly being by accident and others he silently admitted were because he knew she was going to be there and because by now he figured that with her, there was more than meets the eye. In these past couples of weeks, he has noticed she was a girl that cared about other people's feelings without expecting anything in return, carefree and sweet—very sweet. Motoki was right on that. At another melodic sound of sweet laughter on her end, Mamoru peered over his shoulder to look at her and slightly widened his eyes when he caught her doing exactly the same and confirming how despite not showing it, she had indeed noticed he was there and not just that, but she was also looking at him all this time.

O—o—O

At the other side of the room, Usagi was dealing with her own sack of emotions at the sight of the young dashing man she has been seeing so often lately looking at her with the same intensity she knew she was looking at him. It hadn't been long since she met him, but ever since she did, her mind would constantly bring her back to the precise moment they met for the very first time outside the Osa-P jewelry store. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, Usagi couldn't deny it or ignore he was beyond handsome and that there was something about him that made her heart flip and flutter in her chest without control every time she saw him and the way he spoke with that sweet warm voice of his didn't help either.

Whenever she was close to him, Usagi would always get very nervous and uncharacteristically shy, and no matter how much she tried to keep her cool and be chill about it, she could never come up with the right words to say to him despite knowing he means no harm. Her nerves would always betray her and get the best of her and push her to start a pointless argument with him for the most random reasons but the truth was that she wanted to get to know him and that she wanted to know more about him. The more Usagi thought about it, the more she felt convinced there was something about him that always made her feel different and whenever she looked into his eyes she felt like she was the only girl in the world for some strange reason. Usagi really wanted to become friends with him but she didn't know how to break that invisible but obvious barrier between them; she really didn't understand why it was so hard for her to approach him who was just three years older than her but how she could be such good friends with Motoki, who in comparison, was five years her senior. She wasn't really sure why it was so difficult for her to come close without an argument prepared and feeling completely helpless.

By now, Usagi knew his name was Chiba Mamoru, that he was a respected high-school student and that he was smart— _very_ smart. Later on, this was confirmed when Ami mentioned the status his uniform represented and that he indeed went to a private and very elite school crushing all attempts to start a conversation when she noticed the kind books he liked to read. She couldn't think of a way to start a conversation about philosophy or calculus, much less about semiotics or science, and not because she couldn't learn or because she didn't know but because it wasn't her comfort zone; she was the kind of girl who likes to read manga, who watches anime, listens to pop music and likes to dance in the middle of an empty aisle in the supermarket when no one was watching. A girl who knows the silliest of jokes and spend her days drawing and day-dreaming and clearly, he was a complete opposite of that. If she could think of the best way to describe their dynamic it would be by saying that if she was white and pink, he was black and blue. Usagi felt she had an astronomic disadvantage in terms of conversation and things in common because if it wasn't to argue then she didn't know how to talk to him and it frustrated her tremendously. Intimidation was a first for Usagi because it wasn't hard for her to make friends, but she couldn't ignore the mystery surrounding him and what was worse, that it had made her harbor a heavy crush on him.

The minute she caught him looking at her, she felt her heart starting to lose control again and her attention was instantly divided between Naru's conversation about the cool heroine that helped her that night at the jewelry store and the dashing young man sitting at the bar. After their first eye contact, she felt something strange was happening, something that made them keep exchanging playful glances in secret and it made her feel all kinds of excited. From time to time, Usagi would turn to continue her conversation with her friends and Mamoru would continue drinking his coffee in silence but every couple of minutes they would always turn and look at each other for a fraction of a second before starting their little routine all over again. After a few more playful glances, Usagi saw him put his cup down and lean close to Unazuki as he spoke to her with a complicit smile and felt a little crushed and disappointed to see what she believed was a silent truce with him was nothing but an illusion. There she was, back to square one and without a single clue of what to do when he's around other than coming up with a stupid, pointless argument again—this time, she bitterly thought, would be about his red tie.

Usagi turned to mind her own business after she saw him talking to Unazuki with impressive casualty for a couple of minutes before walking out of the parlor without even acknowledging what just happened between them or giving her at least one last glance of any kind. With nothing else to do, Usagi decided it was best to put her curiosity to rest and focus on the conversation between Naru and Aiko—her other friend and classmate, but after many failed attempts to regain her interest, she thought it was best if she went home. She took the last sip of her frosty chocolate milkshake and used her homework as an excuse to let her friends know she had to leave and gave her two friends a quick goodbye hug before walking over to the counter to meet with Unazuki and ask for her check, "Hi Unazuki-san!"

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Unazuki turned with a big smile, one that confirmed she was in fact, Motoki's little sister, "How are you?"

"Good, about to head home," Usagi smiled, "You know, before it gets too late,"

"Ah, you have a lot of homework to do?"

"Yeah, something like that..."

"I bet, I have a ton to do too but it's been a busy day," Unazuki chuckled and leaned on the counter, "So, what's up?"

"Oh, well, since I am going home before my friends, I wanted to ask you if you could split the check and charge me for my milkshake,"

"Oh," Unazuki blinked for a second and flashed Usagi a wide complicit smile, "Oh, yeah… it's okay, don't worry about it."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Usagi frowned confused, Unazuki waved her hand, "That's been taken care of,"

"W-Wait, what?" Usagi shook her head a little confused, "What do you mean?"

"This super cute guy, Mamoru—he paid for it. He was sitting at the bar a while ago and asked me to add your milkshake to his tab," Unazuki nudged the blonde's arm, "Way to go, Usagi-chan! I didn't know you were friends with him!"

"I—I..." Usagi widened her eyes and blushed crimson red and felt like her heart rate skyrocketed to an impressive speed, "B-But… I—don't—"

"Oh," Unazuki turned and handed Usagi a cute cardboard box with a perfect slice of chocolate cake inside "And he also asked me the favor to give you this before you left," she winked an eye at the blonde, "Looks like he's trying to tell you something,"

Usagi felt her cheeks burn like two roasted tomatoes and watched Unazuki waving her hand before going to take another customer's order at the bar and silently walked out of the parlor with the small box in her hands feeling completely bewildered by the unexpected surprise of him taking care of her decadent chocolate milkshake she knew cost more than the average on the menu due to all the sugary treats she liked to add to it—cherry on top included.

She felt like her legs could betray her any minute now so she thought it was best she took a bus to take her closer to home. After walking in complete shock for who knows how long—Usagi wasn't really thinking straight, she finally sat on the bench to wait for the next bus to come and realized she had been holding her breath from the minute she walked out of the parlor until she finally took a seat and let out a shaky breath as she looked down at the cute small box she had in her hands while still trying to understand what just happened. It took her a minute to finally start feeling more like herself and less like a helpless girl in dealing with a major crush on someone when she noticed there was a folded piece of paper carefully placed in the slit of the box. With a shaky hand, Usagi pulled it out carefully and unfolded it with serious care and felt her cheeks turn hot and her heart starting to play that silly joke on her all over again. There it was, written in the most aesthetic and perfectly handwritten hiragana, the key she needed to cross that invisible barrier blocking their way and smiled with complicity after realizing she had finally made a new friend.

" **お会いできて光栄です** **,** **月野 うさぎ"**

 _"A pleasure to meet you, Tsukino Usagi."_

* * *

 _A/N: This happens sometime after "Royal Blue" and it could be a reference as to how their interactions before the truth about their identities came to the light. It's short in comparison to how I usually work but, it's a response to Guardians314 as to how I see how they slowly but surely fell in love._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	8. To the Moon and back to where we belong

_Divinity: A day in the life_

 _To the Moon and back to where we belong - Extra Chapter_

* * *

The sound of rush hour and many people walking down the streets of Tokyo all in a hurry to get to their destination. It was around two in the afternoon, it was still in the common margin for those who worked at an office go out and grab a bite to eat. It was a clear summer day, that Usagi had noticed, as she stared out the window from her workstation with a pale face. It had been probably an hour and a half later since she returned from her lunch break but she couldn't wait to get off from work. She wasn't feeling well; she wasn't feeling well at all, and she blamed that new little Thai café and their ridiculously delicious *Gaeng Daeng she had decided to order for lunch. Her beautiful outfit wasn't helping either. With her black high waisted pencil skirt with a sexy short slit in the back trimmed with lace matching her chic black blouse of the same lace material with a white pussy bow wrapped around her neck loosely and her blush pink stilettos. Her professional, yet still modern and quirky look was completed with simple and fresh makeup and a ballerina messy bun at the top of her head with her now characteristic longer choppy fringe falling over her sparkling icy-blue eyes. It didn't matter how much time went by, how old she got, she was still an odango at heart. If only she felt as good as she looked—she thought with annoyance.

Mika walked into their office whistling happily as she looked down at a portfolio with several prints and pictures from a new project they had been working for weeks and went to sit at her modern white desk right across from Usagi's, "These are nice..." the dark-haired woman smiled with accomplishment, "Maya will be pleased to see these when she returns. I think we hit the mark with this pitch," Mika looked up when she found it strange having no quick response from her peer and friend and blinked a little startled, "Usagi?"

Usagi cleared her throat and turned to look at her friend with a weak smile, looking a little lost, "Ah, y-yeah... that's—that's great,"

The lack of enthusiasm caught Mika by surprise since it was very strange for the silver-blonde to act with so much disinterest about something she has put so much heart and soul into. It had been a big accomplishment for her to have the opportunity to be more involved and participate more in the photoshoots outdoors and not just on the ones done at the magazine's large studio. Usagi loved working on the field and she was good at getting things done faster than anyone. Mika liked it whenever Usagi came along because she had a personality that made it easy to talk and give instructions to the models and photographers without making them feel pressured and made it a good experience every single time and with her skills and knowledge in the many art disciplines, she would always step in and take a few extra takes to give Maya, their boss, more visual options without overspending their budget—they made a good team, Mika, and Usagi, but now, the always bubbly and cheerful young woman was far from her usual self and it was a little too worrying.

"Usagi, are you okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Are you sure?"

"N-No..." Usagi slowly turned her head and looked up at her friend shyly, "I don't feel so good,"

"What's wrong?" Mika widened her eyes and quickly went to see her friend up close; she put a hand on her cheek and widened her eyes, "Oh my god, Usagi, you're so pale! What's going on?"

"I think it was my lunch..." Usagi sighed again, "I think it was a little too spicy for me..."

"Do you have heartburn?" Mika blinked a little confused and worried, to what Usagi only shook her head, "I-I don't know... my stomach hurts,"

Mika pursed her lips, "You do look very pale, Usa-chan, you need to go to the doctor,"

"It's okay, it will go away..." Usagi turned to her computer but no matter how much she tried to focus, the pain in the pit of her stomach was stealing more and more her attention and Mika wasn't buying it, "No, it won't go away and if you don't treat it, it will get worse. Come on, I'll take you."

Usagi looked up at her friend, "B-But what about Yuki or Maya? She'll get upset if she finds out I left early,"

"Let _me_ handle that—don't worry." Mika went to put her computer to hibernate and grabbed her small black purse from one of the bottom drawers in her desk and walked back to Usagi to help her stand; "Come on." Usagi shook her head, "I can go on my own, don't worry—you don't have to come with me, I can walk,"

"Usagi... I can't let you go alone in this condition,"

"I'll be fine," Usagi smiled at her co-worker and raised her right hand, "I promise,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure,"

Mika sighed with defeat, "Alright... but at least let me help you get there, once you've been admitted, I'll come back, okay?"

Usagi nodded softly and turned off her computer. If she wasn't because she really felt terrible, she wouldn't have taken Mika's offer so easily and mostly because she knew her boss was never too keen on the idea of someone missing work, taking time off, or leaving early and that was a luxury Usagi couldn't afford. Time is money, as her boss would always say, and it was always reflected in her paycheck but this time she had to take the risk and leave things in Mika's hands. Usagi turned to grab her pale pink satchel handbag and walked down the hallway all the way to the elevator; she turned and saw her dark-haired friend talking to the receptionist and quickly stepped into the elevator and pushed the lobby button with urgency. Usagi took a deep breath and leaned her head back when she started to feel chills all over her body and closed her eyes for the rest of their trip down to keep the nausea as much under control as possible.

Once the doors opened, Mika held Usagi from her arm and slowly walked through the fancy lobby and into the busy sidewalk and looked for her phone, "There is a small clinic nearby, it shouldn't take us long to get—"

"No," Usagi shook her head and turned to Mika, "No—I'll go to Toranomon Hospital," Mika blinked a little shocked, "Usagi, are you sure?"

"Yes,"

"Isn't that Tokyo Hospital?"

"Famously known as Tokyo Hospital, yes, that's the one."

"Usagi, we're in Omotesando. It would take you more than 40 minutes to get there if you decide to walk to Toranomon. It's like 20 minutes away by car but at this time of the day it could take you a little more time to get there," Mika looked unlocked her phone and started typing something, "It's best to call for a ride... let me check if—ah, there is one car close by, want me to book it?"

"Yes, please,"

Mika frowned and pursed her lips showing a little concern, "Usagi... you _do_ know that is a private hospital, right?"

"Yes..."

"And that is a fancy one, for that matter... a simple consultation there will cost you more than if you get one at a smaller clinic,"

Usagi turned to Mika and smiled softly at her, "Yes, I know but it's okay, I'll be fine,"

"Alright, as you wish," Mika turned and quickly spotted a silver sedan, "Come on, your ride is here. Don't care about the payment—I already took care of it," she opened the door of the small white car and helped her friend get in. She leaned on the door and looked at her friend with worry, "Please text me when you get there to know you are alright,"

"I will. Thank you so much, Mika,"

"Anytime, Sweetie." Mika smiled and watched the car drive away into the busy traffic before walking back into the building. Usagi looked out the window and turned to thank the driver when she was finally at the front entrance of Toranomon Hospital, as Usagi said, famously known as _the_ Tokyo Hospital due to its state-of-the-art facilities, specialized doctors, and top-notch overall service. Unarguably, one of the best. And just as Mika predicted, it took her more than expected to get there but she was finally walking into the very large and fancy lobby. Usagi was immediately welcomed by a young receptionist with a tight bun at the nape of her neck looking polished in her black and white uniform behind a large round desk with other five receptionist already busy with in-patients and calls, "Good afternoon, Miss, welcome to Toranomon Hospital, how can I help you?"

"Hi, yes... I am here for a consultation,"

The receptionist nodded and started typing on her computer, "Have you been here for a consultation before?"

"No, this would be my first time."

"Alright, please take a seat and would you fill out this quick form for me? I will call for one of our on call-doctors, right away."

"Sure—uh," Usagi grabbed the chart and turned to the young woman with a subtle blush on her cheeks, "Actually... I was hoping if you could tell me if one doctor, in particular, is available at the moment?"

"Oh, certainly,"

"Thank you,"

"Of course—what is the doctor's name?"

O—o—O

The fast typing sound was Mamoru's only company as he worked on a patient's medical diagnosis after Motoki had asked him to join his team of specialists to study and treat a complex case with a patient. It became a custom for the blonde doctor to always ask for Mamoru when he came across a new patient with a serious problem. They were known to be a dynamic duo because Mamoru, as a specialized internist, would take a more in-depth analysis and diagnose study of the patient's medical history and run all the necessary tests to define a treatment and if needed, Motoki as a surgeon, would step in and take care of the rest. They always worked hand in hand and not for nothing, the dark-haired man was the best with complex cases—he had a sharp intuition and he acted fast compared to his other peers that made him stand out for his dedication and hard work.

It had been a busy day at the hospital so far and after a series of long consultations and interventions, the dashing doctor finally found the time to read and study the results for this new patient. He had taken one of the consultation rooms on the third floor for his brief study session but his mind, as much as he tried to remain focused on the case, it was more fixed on something that had nothing to do with the matter at hand and the more he thought about it, the more torn he felt about it.

Approximately a month after Usagi and Mamoru finally set the date to marry, the idea of looking for another place to live started to round the couple's mind. It all started with a simple comment during Motoki's wedding when Mamoru asked his girlfriend what kind of wedding she would like to have and to what Usagi surprisingly answered she would much rather invest the money she would spend on a fancy wedding in finding a house to make their new home and raise a family. The idea, while Usagi felt it was a little out there considering how expensive it was to rent a place and not to mention to buy a property in Japan didn't sound as crazy in Mamoru's head. He really liked the plan and the sudden practicality of his future wife's idea. A place where they could start a new chapter of their lives, somewhere they could call home and live their dream of becoming a little family in the future—he wanted that, a future, a family, and he wanted it all with her.

At first, it started with a simple search on what neighborhoods were best to consider when looking for a home. He started searching for properties by himself but since this was something he felt they had to do together, he suggested Usagi go and see some of those places with the excuse to see how much it would cost them to actually own a house instead of paying a rent for the rest of their lives in an apartment that was slowly but surely becoming too small and unpractical to fill their needs and keep all of their stuff. By now, Usagi had taken possession of the small room Mamoru once used as a study to keep her drawing board and all of her art supplies safe from her brother and his friends who had acquired the habit to use whenever she wasn't around to work on their own projects for school.

Mamoru had to be smart about this—smarter than his bunny fiancé. He knew Usagi too well to tell she would feel like she was forcing him to do it if he just said he had started thinking of possible options soon after Motoki's wedding. They were on the same boat and they both aimed for the same direction but they were not the same type of captain. Mamoru was practical, Usagi was indecisive. Mamoru was straightforward, Usagi was way too creative. Mamoru was analytical, Usagi was impulsive. After ten years of dating, Mamoru finally learned how he needed to encourage Usagi to push her fears and insecurities aside and embark in the adventure of going for the hunt for the perfect home.

They had spent weeks visiting many properties but nothing really had caught their attention until one sunny day they decided to drive a little further away from the havoc and busy streets of Minato-ku and found a house in a more private area that literally took Usagi's breath away. It was a one-story house that had been completely remodeled to a much more modern aesthetic, not too big but still very spacious and very lit. It had tall ceilings, panoramic windows, and strategically placed skylights to welcome as much light during the day with an eco-friendly purpose. It was different and it brought a sense of freedom she hadn't found or seen in any of the other houses they had visited in the past. The house had the feeling of a loft with very few dividing walls except for the hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathrooms, the kitchen and dining area that were also specially designed for an indoor garden. Like the rest of the house, the living room had probably the largest panoramic windows Usagi had seen and it gave a great view of the private wooden deck and pergola wrapped in greenery and tiny little flowers outside. The house was really something to take in little by little because it was like it was modeled out of a dream. It even had a small garden shed Usagi quickly thought she could totally adapt as lounge room and studio where she could keep all her art and sewing supplies. The house was perfect, but what really won Usagi's heart was the breathtaking master bedroom and its impressive walk-in closet that connected to a spacious and elegant bathroom that had a separate tub and a shower and a double bathroom sink which meant no more waiting turns to shave or makeup. With the same modern and eco-friendly nature vibe, the bedroom had a fireplace and the same panoramic windows that could also be used as doors to go out to its private little garden with its own small wooden deck; perfect to have their morning cocoa and coffee. Living in such property would be a perfect dream, without a doubt, but sadly it was one Usagi knew it was way too expensive and way too out of her league to make true.

As they had the tour around the house, Mamoru too notice how her beautiful eyes lit up with awe and excitement every time they went into another room. She didn't really need to say how much she loved it, it was all written on her face and that was all he needed to know, that they have found it—the one.

It all looked like it could work out just fine but his plans were soon haltered after talking to the person responsible for the sale on the property's and they were informed the house had already been taken by another couple who just like them, had fallen in love with it so much they already had the down payment ready to set the bidding.

Usagi was aware it was a crazy idea to even consider having a place like that to live and while she knew Mamoru was economically stable, it was something she never really liked to inquire into and also because she didn't care much for the numbers in his bank account. She had the basic knowledge and that was as far as she liked to go unless there was something that really needed to be put on the table, like that time when she shyly had the conversation with Mamoru about her studies and where she would like to go after graduating high-school, and that happened because he gladly offered to help. Usagi knew Mamoru had a good paycheck from his job at the hospital but not even him with his current economic stability could afford a house like that without compromise a number of simple amenities they were so used on having and she, a girl who loved more her job than the modest paycheck she got every week, was not going to pressure him to go out of his way to find a way to get a place like that when they could easily just live in his apartment without a problem. Usagi was aware, so she preferred not to get too into the topic and just let it forgotten with time and not bring it up again.

Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled as he stared at his phone and thought about the call he got earlier that morning from the person who was selling the property to inform him the couple had stepped down from the bidding and it was back on the market but due to its location, a realty agency had taken the exclusivity to sell it and all negotiations had to be made through them; what at first was a stroke of sudden luck and a great opportunity for Mamoru, things took a bitter and unexpected turn when he was informed the agency was the very one he knew was co-owned and ran by no other but Shimuta Chieko.

With the passing years, Mamoru had learned she got married when she turned twenty-two with a realtor and investor that was a few years older than her but with a fortune that could give her the life she wanted. She studied a Bachelor's in Business at Tokyo University but it wasn't her grades what granted her such prestigious position and business among the successful realtors but her family's and later, her husband's surname. In the end, she got what she wanted—what she was so set to believe she deserved. Under her own terms and conditions and now, life was playing this sick prank on Mamoru because to make his future wife's dream a reality and start a new happy life with her, he had to bite his tongue, push his pride aside and break his life's promise of ever striding back into his past and talk to Chieko again.

Oh, the irony—he bitterly thought to himself. The freaking irony.

Mamoru pursed his lips and gave his phone one last glance before putting in back inside his black slacks' pocket and turned to check another sheet of paper with more information about the patient when the door opened and showing Motoki with his usual playful grin on his handsome face, "Ah, here you are,"

"Hey," Mamoru mumbled as he continued to read the document in his hand; Motoki walked into the office and closed the door behind him, "I was looking all over for you, I thought you were on your lunch break."

"Haven't taken one yet," Mamoru frowned slightly, "This man has a serious liver condition and it's starting to malfunction—I am noticing the pattern in his blood samples and after checking his medical history, this comes clear as to what is the root of the problem." He turned to Motoki and arched his brow, "He is not a heavy drinker, doesn't smoke—tries to live a healthy life. He hasn't had any blood transfusions in his life, but all the signs are there," he put the papers on the desk, "He has an autosomal recessive disorder—hemochromatosis. His body is storing a big amount of iron in his livers and since it's not a common problem with obvious symptoms, people don't usually think it exists or that it could be linked to genetics since it's a silent disease."

"So, his family probably has it too,"

"It is very likely he inherited it from his father or mother," Mamoru nodded and put the papers on the desk and sighed softly, "But that is a whole other story to talk about. You might also want to talk to Ishida-san about it, he's the specialized geneticist. For my part, I can tell you the patient needs to take action right away to reduce the heavy amount of accumulated iron; otherwise, his liver will shut down."

"Can you intervene?"

"With his treatment? Sure," Mamoru nodded, "I'll talk to him—when is his next appointment?"

"Tomorrow,"

Mamoru turned to his laptop to check his schedule and appointments and bit his lower lip as he considered his options, "What time?"

"Around nine-ish. We can push it to ten," Motoki crossed his arms, "Busy day? Ah, yes… tomorrow is your birthday,"

"So?" Mamoru arched his brow as he looked down at his agenda. Motoko sighed softly and released a light chuckle, "Ah, yes... that too."

"What?"

"I forgot you hate your birthday,"

"I don't _hate_ it, I just _don't care_ for it, that's all…"

"Bah, potato-potata..." Motoki waved his hand dismissively, "I thought Usagi-chan might have changed that weird perspective of yours by now…"

Mamoru gave his best friend and soon to be best man a wry look and looked down at his agenda again, "I have scheduled appointments during the morning and afternoon—all follow-ups but you know incoming patients are always coming and going,"

"Yeah, that's true..." Motoki pursed his lips, "How's your schedule today?"

"Ah, well... ugh..." Mamoru combed his finger through his hair and let out a forced puff of air, catching Motoki's attention with his strange and while not unusual, sudden change of mood and frowned with concern, "Okay, that doesn't sound too good,"

"Hm..."

"You alright?"

Mamoru leaned back in his chair and rubbed his teeth on his lower lip for a minute, "Yeah..." This was enough for Motoki to know that in fact Mamoru wasn't entirely fine and went to take a seat across from his friend on the desk, "Yeah, like I would believe such weak answer. What's wrong? Tell me."

Mamoru turned on his chair and frowned, "Don't you have appointments to go to?"

"I don't have one in another 20 minutes—come on, spit it out," Motoki waved his hand, "What happened? Are things with you and Usagi-chan okay?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded; Motoki arched his brow "Her father?"

"Yes, everything's okay with her father." Mamoru sighed, "Well it does have to do with Usa, in a way... we've started looking for a house,"

"Wow, really?" Motoki widened his eyes, "That's great!"

"Yeah..."

"Any luck?"

"Well," Mamoru looked at his friend and let out a dry chuckle, "We did get some a few weeks back. Usa fell in love with this house we went to see, but before we even asked how much they wanted for it we were told another couple had started the bidding,"

"Ah, man, I'm sorry—where is it located?"

"Futako-Tamagawa,"

"Ah, a place with a view," Motoki grinned at his best friend, "Very nice,"

"It is nice,"

"So, you decided to branch out of Minato-ku and leave the hectic streets of AzabuJuban, eh?"

"To be honest, it wasn't in our plans, but we somehow ended there. It's a more private residential area; compared to Azabu, it is more low-key despite being a popular and merge area due to the river and surrounding popular commerce and that is what gives the house its worth,"

"Well, it's not that far... it's just like 25 minutes away from Azabu and it's closer to where Reika and I live. That's an elite residential area and its value skyrocketed considerably." Mamoru nodded and leaned his arms over the desk letting a long sigh escape his lungs, "Usa quickly dismissed the idea because she knows it costs way more than she knows I pay for rent where I currently live."

"But... you can afford that, easily,"

"I can,"

"And she doesn't know it,"

"I don't think she does,"

"Hmm..." Motoki frowned and gave his friend a curious glance "Mamoru, just how much Usa-chan knows of your—you know... situation? Because if she doesn't know you can afford a house but you can afford to live in that up-scale apartment in an upscale area, then it means she doesn't have all facts clear,"

Mamoru leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "Usagi knows the basics. She knows the rough numbers of how much I make here and that I was left with an inheritance that has allowed me to take some liberties a person my age normally couldn't, but she doesn't know up to what extent those liberties go because she has never asked me anything else—"

"—Because Usagi being Usagi, she does not want to make you feel uncomfortable and make her look like she's prying into your privacy,"

"Exactly," Mamoru took a deep breath, "I have always made it clear the apartment, the car, and all the things I have are hers too, but she wants to contribute too and I understand and respect her wishes—she knows my credit and debit's pin because I literally had to sit with her and have a forty minute conversation to explain and convince her it was important for her to know them, in case of an emergency."

"Wow,"

"Yeah,"

"So, what now? Are you guys halting your plans for some other time?"

"That's the thing Motoki, I could go on with the plan and actually surprise her by giving her that house."

Motoki frowned a little confused, "But you just said it was already—"

"I got a call this morning from an agent in charge of promoting and selling the house—it's been put on the market again. The couple that was buying it had a problem with their documentation and the bid was canceled,"

"Dude, that's great!" Motoki grinned widely and quickly narrowed his green eyes, "Ah, no wait—no, this is _you_ we are talking about. There is a catch, isn't it? With you there is _always_ something going on, otherwise, you wouldn't look this gloomy,"

"There is a catch," Mamoru nodded, "The property has now been taken by a real state agency and put it in their exclusive listings, due to its location. They know what it's worth and they want to make good money out of it, of course."

"Ah... I kind of have a feeling where this is going," Motoki squinted his eyes, "But I am still hoping you are going to tell me something else,"

"The exclusive deal is with Environ," Mamoru arched his brow, "Shimuta Chieko's agency,"

"Aaaand that teeny tiny ray of hope is dead."

"Yes," Mamoru nodded his head and sighed annoyingly, "So you can imagine just how thrilled I was when I found out about all this,"

"Yeah, I bet. Your face says it all. Oh boy, life really likes to give you some hard punches, huh?" The blonde laughed softly making Mamoru rub the bridge of his nose with exasperation and nodded, "It's like I am an amusement to fate." Motoki crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "So? What are you planning to do?"

"That's the thing, Motoki. I don't know what to do," Mamoru shook his head and put his reading glasses back in their case, "I really don't,"

"It's a tough decision, this is about calling your ex and pretend nothing happened. This is the person that made you go through some serious hellish time." Motoki smiled, "Man, for what I have heard from Reika over the years, she is quite popular and with some serious character."

"She is... complex."

"She's married, right?"

"So I was told,"

"To a rich man,"

"Of course,"

"Did you ever speak to her again?"

"No," Mamoru frowned, "No, why would I? We both said what we had to say when things ended."

"Does Usa-chan know about her?"

"Nobody does, there is no point for me to talk about her, Motoki." Mamoru shook his head, "You are the only one that happens to know and that's because you were too insistent to learn more about my personal life..." he narrowed his deep blue eyes, "For some reason,"

"Because you were a freaking closed book! I just couldn't believe you have never dated before—ever. There was more to your lame attempts to makes us believe that you were new to relationships."

"I wouldn't exactly call what I had with Chieko a relationship,"

"It was, just far from being a healthy one," Motoki arched his brow, "And it happened at the worst time for you to be in one."

"I didn't know any better—I was a doormat with high hopes."

"Well, that proves my theory that we all have carcasses under our table, and you my friend, are not the exception." Motoki threw Mamoru a ball of crumpled paper the dark-haired man caught with impressing reflexes, "Ok, _Mr. Carcass_ , then let me ask you this: does Reika know about Nikita,"

"Dude, _nobody_ knows about Nikita," Motoki's eyes widened with fright "And don't you ever dare—"

"Of course not!" Mamoru chuckled as he leaned back in his chair and threw back the same crumpled piece of paper at his friend, "Just who the hell do you think I am? I am just proving my point as to why I don't like to talk about her."

"And I get it, but your thing with Chieko was dense as hell. She was abusive and emotionally unstable—Nikita on the other hand, well, she was just... a little _too_ wild with her life choices."

Mamoru let out a soft sigh, "You should have seen Usagi's face Motoki," he looked at his friend and instantly his face changed to a more relaxed one, "She loved that house, and it's not even about where the house is located, if it's elite or expensive, it's what it represents—what she said it would mean if we had a place for us and I want to give her exactly _that._ I want to give her a home where we can start a new chapter in our lives."

"You didn't know any better with Chieko-san, but you do now with Usa-chan. She sure has you head over heels..." Motoki grinned with pride, Mamoru nodded, "She does," he frowned sardonically, "You say it like you weren't head over heels for Reika,"

"Never said I wasn't, you said so yourself in *our wedding. We are what love should look like... after mocking me, of course," Motoki narrowed his eyes at a smirking Mamoru, "You can't truly blame me for that."

Motoki chuckled and took a deep breath to go back to a much more serious stance, "I know what you mean. It's not hard to see why you live to make Usa-chan happy. She changed your life and steered it in a completely different direction from where it was originally heading. You and I are friends because of her... sometimes I wonder what kind of people you would be hanging out with if you hadn't met me,"

"I would probably be alone. I was very much fed up with trying to figure out who was nice and who wasn't back then,"

"Good thing we met,"

"Yes,"

"I mean... I'm a very cool person to hang out with,"

"Yeah, you are,"

"I'm fun,"

"Ah... sure,"

" _And_ awesome,"

"Yeah, I get your point," Mamoru smiled, "But you're right, my life would be completely different if you and I weren't friends."

Motoki smiled, "The sentiment is totally reciprocal my friend, you're pretty awesome too."

Mamoru chuckled, "Thanks," he sighed softly, "There is nothing I would not do for her, Motoki. Nothing I don't want to give her. I want to make her happy and give her the life she deserves."

"You know what to do then," Motoki leaned closer to the desk, "You will have to suck it up, swallow that immaculate pride of yours, and call the woman to start negotiations to give your future wife the house of her dreams. Now it's the time to put all that impressive wealth you have to good use."

Mamoru nodded, "I have that more than clear, it's just..."

"It's a big agency, Mamoru, you might not even have to deal with her at all. Knowing the kind of person she is, she most likely has a lot of assistants and agents doing all these for her."

"As much as I would not like to admit it, Chieko has the means to get me that house quicker than any other agent could." Mamoru pursed his lips, "She has influences and knows a lot of people in the field, plus, she is manipulative by nature—a trait that works marvelously in the business world."

"That is true," Motoki nodded "Well, my friend—suck it up and call her. Make the appointment before someone else does and takes that house from you a second time."

"Yeah,"

"Perfect," Motoki smiled, "Are you going to tell Usagi-chan?"

"No. If I decide to go through with this, I want it to be a wedding surprise for her," Mamoru looked down at the papers with the information he gathered from the patient and smiled softly. Motoki grinned with excitement and clicked his tongue, "You are one smooth man, Chiba Mamoru."

Mamoru chuckled but before he could retort to his friend's playful comment a soft knock startled both doctors and turned to see Maki at the other side of the door, "Excuse me,"

"Don't worry Maki-san, what is it?" Motoki turned to look at the nurse over his shoulder casually, "I am sorry to interrupt, but, Dr. Chiba, you are needed on the first floor for a walk-in consultation," she then turned to Motoki, "Dr. Furuhata, your next patient is waiting in room 344."

"Ah... the evaluation, thank you, Maki," Motoki nodded and stood up, "So, are you going to call her, then?" Mamoru closed his laptop and put it back in his messenger bag along with other papers and nodded slowly, "Yes..."

"Let me know how that goes,"

"You just want to know the dirt," Mamoru turned to his friend as he walked out the door, "You are one morbid man, Furuhata Motoki," he handed his blonde friend a folder, "Here—my extended diagnosis. Let me know when the patient is coming for his results so I can join you during your meeting with him,"

"Ah, great—thanks. I will, I'll text you as soon as I finish with this patient to give you the details of the appointment," Motoki took hold of the folder and turned to walked to the opposite side of the long hallway while Mamoru went quickly to put his things in his locker and headed to the floor he was being called to assist the new patient. Most of his days he would spend them making his rounds and assisting the Internal Medicine Departments, but also the *MICU, *ICU, or the *Medical Floor and due to the nature of his specialization, he would also be asked to do consultations depending on the case and patient and how much staff they could rely on according to how busy it could get on days. Mamoru stepped out of the elevator and walked straight to the nurse's station on the first floor, "Konnichiwa, Ika-san,"

"Konnichiwa, Dr. Chiba,"

"I got a message that I was needed for a walk-in consultation?"

"Yes," the young nurse smiled and nodded as she handed him a new chart with information, "Here's the new chart, Isha-san,"

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled and followed his usual protocol on checking the patient's information before heading toward the consultation room but the minute he checked on the patient's name his sapphire blue eyes widened twice in size and turned to the nurse with surprising concern, "Ika-san, what room is this patient in?" The uncharacteristically urgent tone of his voice startled the young nurse, "132,"

Mamoru didn't even wait to be asked anything else and headed toward the assigned room as soon as he was given the number. Inside, Usagi was sitting in a chair in front of a modern light-grey desk when she heard the door opening and turned her head slowly to greet her dashing doctor boyfriend. Mamoru blinked a couple of times, still a little surprised to see his girlfriend there and closed the door behind him quickly, "Usa?"

Usagi turned to look over her shoulder and gave him a very weak smile, "Hi Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru immediately knew there was something going on with his bunny girlfriend and quickly took the chair next to her and looked at her with worry, "Usako, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel so good Mamo-chan..." Usagi mumbled weakly and leaned her head on his shoulder, "Mika, my co-worker insisted I had to go get myself checked out, so I left the office,"

"And you came here all by yourself?!" Mamoru frowned, "Usa, why didn't you call me? I would have gone and picked you up at work!"

"It's okay," Usagi took a deep breath and exhaled softly, "I know you're busy—the receptionist told me you were not available at the moment but right when she was about to call for another doctor to check on me but, a young nurse told her you had a free space in your schedule and that you could take the inquiry. I would have asked for Ami-chan, but I know she's away with her mother at this conference and I was told Motoki-oniisan was already with a patient. I just didn't want to go to the clinic Mika was suggesting me to go... I feel like I'm babbling so much right now... I'm sorry,"

"Usa, you should have told the receptionist that you are my fiancé—they would have given me the notice without so much protocol,"

Usagi tilted her head, "I didn't want to sound snobbish by mentioning it to get certain privileges when there are many people with much more serious problems that require your full attention,"

"You are a sweetheart but _you_ are _my_ priority," Mamoru rubbed her arm softly, "No matter how busy my schedule is, I will always be going to be available for you—no matter what." He pulled back and looked at her, "Now that I am here, tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know... I feel weird... I have goosebumps running all over me and my stomach hurts pretty bad..."

"Okay..." Mamoru nodded and helped her stand up, "Come here with me," he offered his hand for support so she could sit on the cushioned consultation bed and tilted her face up to look into her eyes, "How long have you been feeling weird, love?" He turned to grab a thermometer and put it under her tongue and waited a few minutes to check her temperature. Then he turned to grab the sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope to check her blood pressure. Usagi looked as he gently wrapped the band around her arm and took another deep breath to keep her from fainting, "Like... an hour after lunch... two hours ago. At first, I just felt a little bloated but then I started having pain and that's when I knew something was wrong,"

"Do you have a headache?" Mamoru kept his eyes on the numbers on her pressure; Usagi pursed her lips, "Just a little... I feel a little weak and can't focus much." Mamoru turned to look at her and cupped her cheek with his hand, "You say you can't focus?"

No... I feel hazed,"

Mamoru helped her lay down on the bed and looked at her, "I need to lift your blouse," Usagi turned to look at him with a mischievous smile, one that made Mamoru crack a chuckle "You are unbelievable,"

Usagi giggled weakly and helped him by pulling her lace blouse up enough to expose her stomach. Mamoru pressed the stethoscope in certain points on her belly and stayed quiet for a minute. Usagi looked at him with the most loving eyes despite feeling like she could fall asleep any minute now and thought how good and dedicated he was to his profession and how lucky many patients were to have him as their doctor. Mamoru took a deep breath and put his hand on top of her stomach, "Tell me if it hurts, okay Buns?" Usagi nodded and squinted her eyes a little, "I feel bloated and this freaking skirt isn't helping me feel any better,"

"You are," Mamoru looked at her as he put a little pressure on another side of her stomach, "Do you feel heavy?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded slowly, "Uncomfortable..."

"Have you felt any cramps?"

"Yes, but they come and go..."

Mamoru moved his hand to her lower belly and put a little pressure, this time noticing she flinched and showing more discomfort, "Hurts?"

"Yes, a little,"

"Do you feel nauseous?" Mamoru looked at her with the same loving glare, Usagi rested her hand on top of his, "Yeah..."

"You are very pale," Mamoru mumbled with slight worry, "Buns, what did you eat? Tell me what you have eaten or drank so far today,"

"Well, I had my usual strawberry-banana protein smoothie for breakfast and I snacked some almonds throughout the morning," Usagi pursed her lips, "But, for lunch, I went to this new little Thai food place that just opened close to work with Mika."

"Okay," Mamoru he continued checking her and listening with his stethoscope, "And what did you order?"

"Actually, it was _very_ tasty. It was a curry dish. It had chunky morsels of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves," Usagi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Ugh, no, I can feel another rush of chills and nausea kicking in,"

"Well, as chunky and tasty as it sounds and you say it was... it got you sick," Mamoru pulled her blouse down and helped her sit very slowly. Usagi shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "It feels weird..." she opened her eyes and looked at her fiancé with worry, "Is it too bad?"

"You got food poisoning, Usa," Mamoru cupped her cheek, "And I am almost certain it was the meat—either it wasn't fully cooked or it wasn't in the best state and it ended causing you an infection,"

"Oww..." Usagi leaned her head on her boyfriend's chest and closed her eyes, "That's no good..."

"No, baby, it's not..." Mamoru pulled her closer and rubbed her back, "I'll prescribe you some antibiotics to counteract the effects of the infection, but I need you to stay in bed for the rest of the day. You need plenty of rest and liquids, you are dehydrated and you also have a fever." He went to look for a prescription pad in one of the desk drawers; Usagi pouted her lips "I have?"

"Yep,"

"Is it too bad?"

"Slight, but it's there—that's why you feel disoriented and chilly," he started writing down some medicines in the pad and sighed softly, "You really should have called me, Usa."

"It's okay... though, I will need a good excuse to give my boss as to why I left,"

Mamoru kept his gaze down as he continued his writing, "I will write a medical certificate saying you need to take a few days off work to get better, you can't work in this condition,"

"Wow," Usagi's eyes sparkled with wonder, "You have the power to do that?!"

"Yep,"

"Really?"

"Yes," Mamoru chuckled and ripped the prescription off the pad and walked up to her, "I'll take you to your parent's house but _promise me_ you'll rest. I'll go check on you as soon as I am done with the rest of my appointments for today,"

"Okay..." Usagi pursed her lips, "But _you_ have to tell Shingo to look out for me—he will listen to you more than he will listen to me since he's always busy at school or with his friends. At least ask him to leave me some food in the fridge, he always eats everything when Mama and Papa are not around."

"Shingo?" Mamoru frowned, "Where are your parents?"

"They went on this cruise Mama wanted to take for their anniversary, remember? They won't be back for another week," Usagi sighed softly, "I really don't know how Papa agreed to go, he's so afraid of the ocean..." Mamoru smiled with realization, "Well, that's because he loves your mother very much,"

"That he does," Usagi chuckled and watched him walk towards her, "I'll ask Shingo to do me the favor and go to the pharmacy to buy me—" she looked down at the prescription and blinked with surprise, "Wow these are some very strange names..." she looked up and beamed at him lovingly and with much gratitude, "Thank you so much, Mamo-chan,"

"You don't need to thank me, love." Mamoru tucked a piece of her long fringe behind her ear lovingly, "Tell Shingo you'll be staying with me," he leaned his forehead on hers, "Thankfully, he's a good alibi for us,"

"Yeah, it's not a big of a deal for him but also because he likes you a lot—you're his idol, literally." Usagi smiled softly, "Can I really can stay with you?"

"Yes,"

"But I am so sick,"

"I'm a doctor, Buns, I'll be fine."

Usagi smiled, "Will you take care of me?" Mamoru nodded, "I'll take good care of you,"

"Oh... so," Usagi cupped his cheek lovingly, "How much do I owe you, Isha-san?"

"A kiss would be nice," Mamoru smiled softly and tapped her lips gently with his finger, "A kiss would be _very_ nice and more than enough."

"Oh, my!" Usagi gasped playfully in response. She could feel like a train just passed through her, but her sense of humor remained intact, "You are one naughty doctor, Chiba Mamoru." Mamoru chuckled softly, "Well, that's only because you are one beautiful patient, Tsukino Usagi. I have to take my chances to steal a kiss from you,"

"I really hope I am the only patient you care stealing kisses from..." Usagi narrowed her eyes making Mamoru laugh, "Of course, just you Buns, I swear."

"Well, you better..." the silver-blonde pulled him from his white coat's lapels and gave him a deep kiss charged with sensuality and so much love for the man that made her lose all reason. After a minute, Usagi pulled back and smiled when she recognized the navy-blue dress-shirt he was wearing under his impeccable white coat. She always liked how he looked whenever he wore black or navy-blue, it always made his eyes look more intense—like the ocean, as she would always say. There was something that always added an extra sultry vibe to his already magnetic personality and it made her feel her heart flutter in her chest. She remembered giving it to him for his birthday last year, making her come to the realization that his birthday was the very next day and that she didn't have brought his present with her. Mamoru has never been too fond to celebrate his birthday. Since she met him, he never showed too much enthusiasm for it and it still surprised her up to this day that after ten years of being an official couple, it always rained on every 3rd of August.

Usagi didn't know much of his childhood but she was aware that he grew up without really caring for it and she kind of figured why. It was more than obvious why he had a hard time with it and every time it was that time of year, she couldn't help picturing him all alone in a hospital without knowing who he was or what happened to him and it broke her heart. Usagi didn't like to ask much so he wouldn't have to think about that somber past, and while respected his decision, she always tried to make the day a little less bitter for him in any way she could. Two years back, she threw him a surprise party with all his friends and while it was fun and he really had a great time, she could still see some gloominess masking his beautiful eyes and that was something she couldn't accept it and made her finally understand Mamoru didn't like to celebrate big and she figured it was because he felt guilty for celebrating on the same day his parents passed away so tragically.

"Come on," Mamoru offered her his hand to help her get down of the examination bed and turned to put the instruments back in their place, "I'll take you to your parent's house so you can pack some clothes and then I'll drive you to the apartment, okay?"

"But don't you have more patients to see?" Usagi blinked a little confused, "Mamo-chan, I can wait for you until you are done with your appointments, or I can call for a ride and meet you there when you're done,"

"You can't go on your own while this sick. It's okay, Usa, I have enough time to take you and come back to finish my shift. I haven't gone out for lunch, so that's some extra time for us," Mamoru put his arm on her back for support and walked with her out of the consultation room toward to the nurses' station to fill out the protocolary form of discharge. He checked his phone when he heard an alert and quickly turned to the young nurse, "Ika-san, can you try and reach Dr. Furuhata for me, please?"

"Yes, Dr. Chiba, right away," The young nurse nodded and quickly turned to call for Motoki, giving Usagi the time to lean closer with a shy look in her face, "Seriously, Isha-san, how much is for the consultation?" She whispered, making Mamoru chuckle as he continued writing down some notes on the sheet form, "Don't worry about it,"

"I _do_ worry. Your experience and services deserve a more proper payment," Usagi looked at him sheepishly and saw Mamoru turning to look at her with a sensual grin on his face, giving her enough reason to understand what he was trying to say and blushed, "Seriously, Mamo—ru- _san_ ," Usagi tried to keep her composure and decided to take a more serious approach to talk to her boyfriend while he's working because she knew the importance to keep a professional image in a workplace and also, because she knew he liked to keep his personal life as private as possible and adding the usual _chan_ to his name while he's in doctor mode would raise a few questions from the nurses and other members of the medical staff or even think the wrong thing by suggesting she gets special treatment and benefits just because she's his fiancé.

"Seriously, Usagi- _san_ ," Mamoru mumbled softly as he signed the form and turned to take the phone Ika was giving him with Motoki on the line, "Hey, I'm on the first floor finishing my consultation. I got your message, it works fine for me—book it. I'll be heading out after I'm done to take care of something important but I'll return in time to meet with you and the patient, did you talk to Dr. Ishida?" He nodded "Okay, good—I will see you then." Mamoru hung up the phone and turned to the young nurse, "Thank you Ika-san. This would be all on my part—the payment for the consultation and the medicines prescribed are taken care of by me—I'll go pick them up in a minute at the pharmacy,"

Ika blinked a little startled and nodded, "Oh, okay, I will let Hada-san send the charge receipt to human resources and send the prescription to the pharmacy,"

"Thank you, Ika-san," Mamoru smiled "One more thing. I won't be available for the rest of the afternoon because I have to assist a case on the fourth floor. Unless is one of my current patients, I can't take new inquiries or calls,"

"Yes, Dr. Chiba, understood. I'll put the notice up on the board."

"Thank you, Ika-san,"

Mamoru turned to Usagi and offered his arm for her to take as support as they walked into the elevator. He pressed the lobby button and pulled her closer to him so she could lean her head on his shoulder. Usagi ran her arm around his waist from under his white coat and smiled softly, "You are the best doctor ever, you know that? Look at you, making sure I get home safely." Mamoru turned to kiss the top of her head softly, "Always,"

"I promise I'll pay you back,"

"The best and only way you can repay me is by getting proper rest and of course, by not going back to that place to have lunch ever again," he nudged her softly, "No matter how tasty it was, it's no good for moon bunnies,"

"I promise I won't go back there," Usagi smiled at his loving nickname, "And I promise I'll lay still,"

"Okay," Mamoru turned with a worried look on his face, "Do you want me to carry you to the car?"

"It's okay, Mamo-chan," Usagi shook her head, "I can walk,"

"In those killer heels?"

"In these killer heels, believe it or not."

O—o—O

After the quick trip to Usagi's house to pack some things she needed to bring with her, Mamoru finally parked his car in the building's garage and helped Usagi get out with the most care despite her incisive attempts to pretend she was fine to walk. After a few stumbles, he carried her in his arms all their way to the elevator and the apartment. By now, Usagi was more asleep than awake but even still, she was reluctant to close her eyes and wanted to help her boyfriend in any way she could. She blindly looked for her keys inside her purse and unlocked the door. Mamoru balanced Usagi's weight in his arms and used his foot to push the door open and walked all the way to the bedroom after quickly sliding his shoes off and leave them on the genkan. He laid her on the bed and helped her change her clothes to something more lose and comfortable for her to sleep in. He sat next to her to check her temperature again and turned to prepare a syringe with antibiotic to put on her glute muscle to help her cut the symptoms and fever much faster, "Buns, I need you to turn to the side for me please,"

Usagi turned to look at him with doe-eyes and blinked a little shocked when she saw the syringe in her boyfriend's hand, "Wait... w-what are you doing?"

"I'm preparing a syringe to give you a shot,"

"You're using that on me?"

"Yes,"

"W-Why?" Usagi bit her lip and looked at the sleek needle like the nastiest youma she has ever had to encounter. Mamoru tilted his head and sighed softly; he knew the intimidating effect needles had on people—him included—and by Usagi's look, it was clear she was afraid of them too, "We need to attack the infection quickly and this is the best way to do it,"

"B-But..."

"I promise I won't hurt you,"

"That's a total lie," Usagi narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "All doctors say the same thing and end up hurting you and leaving nastiest of bruises on the skin,"

Mamoru arched his brow, "Usa..."

"No! Nuh-uh, injections hurt! Injections are mean! Injections are evil!"

"Usako..."

"Doctors lie _all the time!_ Doctors are evil!"

"Ah..." Mamoru let out a dry chuckle, "Thank you, that's sweet."

"Can't I take a pill or something?" Usagi frowned with noticeable panic crossing her face; Mamoru looked at her with all the patience in the world and shook his head, but right now, he wasn't willing to negotiate, "No,"

"Why?"

"Because they won't work as fast as an intramuscular solution will. You're very sick,"

"We won't know until we try,"

"Usa..." Mamoru took a deep breath and tried to keep his calm, this wasn't new to him. Countless of patients have had the same panicked reaction when they learned they needed an injection and his beloved girlfriend was on that list, so he had to be extra careful, "Baby, your fever has gone up—"

"I can take it, I'm strong," Usagi quickly interrupted him, "A simple fever can't take me down,"

"You have an infection and if your fever goes up it will turn severe," Mamoru sighed softly, "It will only make things worse for you, so I have to ask you, do you want to feel better or do you want to feel worse?"

"I want to feel better but I don't want that going into my pretty derriere,"

"It's best for you at this point, please?"

"No, no, nuh-uh, nope, no, I won't turn,"

"Not even for me?"

"No,"

Mamoru let out a tired sigh, "Alright..." he turned and put the cap back on the syringe and put it on the nightstand, "Well, I have to go back to the hospital now. My break is almost over, I'll take the other room when I get back." Usagi's eyes widened with panic and turned to look at him, "Wait, what? Why?!"

"Drink this please," Mamoru handed her a small glass of water and a couple of pills, "We can't sleep together, I can't allow myself to get sick, Usa,"

"This is contagious?!"

"By the way you are choosing to handle your sickness, it's best if I stay in the other room,"

"B-But you said you were going to take good care of me! See? I wasn't lying when I said doctors lie all the time!" Usagi frowned with evident hurt and disappointment. Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled, "I am trying to take care of you but there is not much I can do if you don't let me. If you want to take pills for your infection, you can take them, they're right here. I got this antibiotic in an injectable solution so it could work faster and you could feel better sooner but if it's not what you want, I respect it. I can't make you do something you don't want to do, but I also can't stay close to you under these conditions, baby, I'm sorry—I can't get sick. I have patients to look after," he looked down at his watch and then at her, "I have to go, love. I have a consultation with a patient who's very sick and I can't be late because other doctors are expected to be there too."

Usagi pouted her lips, "Alright..."

"What?"

"Alright... I'll turn around. I'll sacrifice my derriere for you,"

"Usa, you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do!" Usagi gave her boyfriend a sheepish look, "I want you to sleep with me! I don't want you to stay in another room, being alone while sick is the worst..." she pouted her lips and looked at her handsome boyfriend nodding, "Okay," Mamoru pinched her hot cheek lovingly and saw her staring at the syringe in his hand and then looked at him with panic "Do you _really_ promise it won't hurt?"

"I promise," Mamoru nodded, "My love, I didn't leave your side for two years and crammed a specialization just to come back and make my patients feel miserable,"

"I am not just _any_ patient, I am your girlfriend,"

"Exactly, you are my fiancé," Mamoru nodded, "My very precious girl with hair of moonbeam and perfect derriere. Do you think I want to cause pain to my beautiful princess and leave her with a nasty bruise? Absolutely not." Usagi smiled softly, "Alright, I am putting my trust in your hands, what side do you want me to turn, left or right?"

"Whichever you prefer," Mamoru turned to grab a cotton ball and soaked it in alcohol and took the cap of the syringe. With a shaky hand, Usagi pull down her light cotton pajama pants and squinted her eyes when she felt him gently rubbing the damp cotton ball on her skin right where the needle was going in and turned to look away, clearly feeling anxious and scared, "What if it hurts?"

"If it hurts you can punish me in the name of the Moon, Sailor Moon." With his free hand, Mamoru gently pressed on and pull the skin so that it is slightly tight and put the needle into the muscle at a 90-degree angle and pushed down on the plunger with delicate pressure to inject the solution and removed the needle at the same angle and as quickly as it went in and placed a small cotton ball over the area where the needle went in.

"Okay," Usagi hugged her pillow tight and took a breath for a few seconds and frowned while she waited for the painful sting but nothing happened. She pursed her lips, "Oh my god, Mamo-chan, _what_ are you doing? What are you waiting for? Please stop with this torment and pinch me with that needle already!"

"Honey, I already did."

"What?" Usagi blinked startled; Mamoru turned to put the cap on the syringe and threw it in the trash, "I already injected you,"

"What?!" Usagi turned to look at him wide-eyed, "No, it can't be... you're lying..."

"Nope," Mamoru shook his head and looked at her with a soft smile, "Did it hurt?"

"No..." Usagi blushed and blinked, still very surprised she didn't feel a single thing, "B-But when did you do it?"

"While you were holding on to dear life from that pillow," Mamoru took the cotton ball off her buttock and also threw it in the trash before pulling her pant's waistband back up, "All done,"

"You have magic hands... how the hell did you do it?" Usagi looked at him with astonishment, "I didn't feel anything!"

Mamoru cupped her warm cheek, "That is how an injection should be—some solutions are painful but there are ways to put them and make the experience less traumatizing. You did good, love, you'll feel better after this,"

"Thank you, Mamo-chan, I'm sorry for the hassle,"

"It's no hassle, Buns, that's why I am here," Mamoru leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Now, I really have to go,"

"Are you really consulting a very sick patient?" Usagi looked at her boyfriend nodding and open up a bottle of water and handed it to her, "Drink this slowly,"

"What is it? Some kind of sports drink?"

"No, it's fermented coconut water—there's a kick to it but the electrolytes and the probiotics in there will help you feel better and calm your upset stomach,"

"Oh, okay," Usagi nodded and took a sip and blinked a little surprised, "Ah, it's not that bad... it's just a little sour," Mamoru smiled and helped her with her pillows, "I will come as soon as I am done with my shift, okay? Please rest, you need to rest."

"Okay,"

"If _anything_ —call me on my cell phone, if for some reason I don't answer you right away, call the hospital and tell them you are my patient and that you need to speak to me urgently." Usagi smiled and nodded, "Okay,"

"Promise?"

"I promise,"

"Okay," Mamoru leaned down again and kissed her softly on the lips, "I'll be back soon, I love you," he smiled at her and closed his bedroom door behind him as he walked out. Usagi later heard him closing the front door and sighed softly as she slowly snuggled in between the sheets she loved that smelled like him and hugged his pillow tightly, "To the moon and back Mamo-chan, I love you too."

O—o—O

A couple of hours later Usagi slowly opened her eyes and turned to look for her phone she was sure Mamoru had left on the nightstand and checked the hour, "Five..." she mumbled groggily feeling still under the effects of the antibiotic but she noticed the pain that was torturing her hours ago was gone, surprising her, "Huh, that shot sure did wonders. I am very impressed, Mamo-chan," she smiled and turned to look out the window and sighed softly, "God, I miss you..." she mumbled and looked down at her phone and saw the date on her lock screen, "Tomorrow is your birthday and I forgot your present because of this stupid infection..." she frowned, "Stupid delicious red curry, this is all your fault." She unlocked her screen and saw there were two text messages from him checking how she was feeling, one for each hour she had been sleeping, thinking how even when his day was probably packed with work, he still was thinking of her. She was about to reply to his message when her phone started to vibrate, letting her know of the incoming call and smiled, "Hi, Mika,"

 _"Ah, thank goodness you answered! I was all worried, I never got your message..."_

"I am sorry, Mika, I completely forgot... I'm so sorry,"

 _"What happened? How are you feeling?"_

"Much better than how I was when I left the office,"

 _"Where are you now?"_

Usagi smiled softly and blushed, "Home,"

 _"So, what happened to you? Did you see a doctor?"_

Usagi's smile widened, "Yes... a marvelous one. I got food poisoning and it morphed into some weird and serious infection..."

 _"What?! Oh my god! How serious is it?"_

"I need to have plenty of rest and keep myself hydrated. I had a fever by the time I got to the hospital—oh, by the way, I just checked my email and found out my doctor sent me a medical certificate to justify my absence at work and the recommendations I need to follow for the next couple of days. Can I send it to you?"

 _"Sure thing, I will send it to Maya."_

"Alright, give me a sec," Usagi put her phone in speaker mode while she sent Mamoru's email to Mika, "Got it?"

" _Not yet,"_

"So... did she get upset?"

 _"Surprisingly, no. She said that it was best you left, otherwise, you would have spread the virus to others... you know how sweet she gets to be sometimes,"_

"Yeah, a real doll."

 _"I got your email—oh wow, you had a serious stomach infection, Usagi-chan."_

"Yeah..."

" _Your doctor has a cool signature,"_

"Yes," Usagi smiled, knowing exactly how Mamoru's signature looked like, "And he's very handsome,"

 _"Really?"_

"Oh yeah..."

 _"Huh, no wonder why you wanted to go there. Lucky you, I guess I will have to go to that hospital next time I get sick,"_ Mika's giggle echoed at the other end of the line, _"Is there anything you need? I can drop by your house and help you out_ — _oh before I forget, a package came in with your name_ — _I signed for it."_

 _"_ It did!? Yes! thank you so much! I was waiting for it to arrive... great, just in time. I'm alright Mika, actually, I am at my boyfriend's apartment—he's taking care of me. He got out of work to bring me here."

 _"Aw, that's good. Well, if you need anything, Usagi, let me know, okay?"_

"I will Mika, and thank you for your all your help. I will try and send a friend to pick that package tomorrow if that's ok?"

 _"Sure thing, don't worry. And this certificate is more than enough to justify your absence at work and since it's from a fancy hospital, Maya won't even budge to believe you are really sick and won't even complain about your absence, who knows, she might even send you flowers..."_

The comment made Usagi crack a chuckle, "Yeah, maybe—tell her I like tulips and roses..." Mika laughed softly, _"I'll make sure to let her know, take care Usagi,"_

"Will do Mika, thanks, see you soon."

 _"Bye,"_

"Bye."

Usagi ended the call and tried to get out of bed but felt very weak, despite not feeling pain anymore she still felt shaky and a little disoriented. She turned to grab her drink and slowly finished it in silence and considered watching some television, finally, she had convinced Mamoru to put a television in his bedroom but she thought it would be best if she went back to sleep and wait for him to return from work. There was much nothing she could do, either way, she was very sleepy and tired; after finishing her drink she put her phone back on the nightstand after replying to his messages and went back to sleep.

O—o—O

Two hours later, Mamoru finally walked through the front door and tossed his keys on the large plate over the table on the genkan and quickly went to turn the lights in the living room, a sign Usagi had kept her promise and stayed in bed all afternoon. He quickly went his bedroom and sat on the bed next to her and placed his hand on her cheek to check her temperature; his warm touch was enough to make her open her eyes and saw his handsome face painted with the warm gold and red colors of the setting sun in the horizon, "Hey..." he leaned down and kissed her temple, "How are you feeling?" Usagi smiled softly and held his hand, "Much better... my stomach doesn't hurt that much anymore but I feel so weak..."

"That's normal Bunny, it's the antibiotic fighting the bacteria in your system. You won't be able to move much for a little while," Mamoru turned to grab the thermometer again and put it under her arm, "You don't feel like you have a fever but I still want to make sure where you at,"

Usagi nodded and obediently waited for her boyfriend to check the numbers on the thin instrument; Mamoru took it out after a couple of minutes and turned the light on to look at it closely, "Is it gone?" She asked curiously. Mamoru shook the thermometer and put it back on the nightstand, "You still have a little fever going on... but again, it's because your body is fighting the infection."

Usagi tried to sit on the bed but her arms were shaking too much and fell back, "I'm so weak... I don't like this..."

"Your body is decompensated," Mamoru cupped her cheek lovingly, "You need to stay still," he looked down and started emptying his pockets. He turned to take off his watch and put it on the nightstand along with his wallet and phone. Usagi turned to look at him and noticed the exhaustion in his handsome face. She leaned closer and traced the line of his jaw with the tips of her fingers, "How did things go with the patient?" Mamoru sighed softly and turned to comb her long fringe aside, "Uh, well..."

"Is he very sick?" Usagi blinked and saw Mamoru nodding tiredly, "Yes, he's very sick—his case is more complicated than I initially thought,"

"Is he going to be okay?"

"We are working on it,"

"Are _you_ going to be okay?" Usagi held his hand and looked up at him again. Mamoru tilted his head and smiled warmly, "As long as _you_ are okay, I'll be okay." He pinched her nose gently and pulled the knot and slid the sleek lead-colored tie and started to undo the buttons of his navy-blue shirt, almost in an automatic fashion. With the passing years, Usagi noticed Mamoru had slowly stopped wearing scrubs as often as he used to and changed his dress code to something sleeker and professional. It was more common nowadays to see him wearing slacks, a crisp shirt, and a tie to match the formality of his impeccable white coat than the scrubs he used to when he was an intern. Usagi couldn't take her eyes off him as he roamed around the bedroom and went inside the walk-in closet to look for his trusty grey sweats.

Usagi was glad he was home but she was having a hard time trying to keep her eyes open and slowly drifted off to sleep again not really knowing when or what happened afterward. It was as if she was conscious but her body couldn't respond, she could hear noises in the background but she wasn't alert; she was exhausted and sore. A while after, Usagi felt Mamoru's warm hand rubbing her back gently and slowly opened her eyes when her nose caught up a very nice smell and found him sitting next to her with a soup mug filled with something, "Usako," he mumbled softly, "It's time for your antibiotics—but you can't take them with an empty stomach."

"But... I'm no hungry..." Usagi turned her head and let out a heavy exhale, "Mamo-chan... I feel so weak..."

"I know baby, but you need to eat something," Mamoru put the steaming mug on the nightstand and swooped her in his arms to help her sit on the bed. Usagi rested her head on his shoulder and felt like she could break into tears of frustration for not being able to move on her own and be a burden for her boyfriend. Mamoru leaned her back on the headboard and went to grab the mug again and stirred the spoon inside its hot contents to let it cool a little before taking some to feed his sick girlfriend. Usagi looked at the mug and then at him, "What is it?"

"Chicken broth with white rice—I know, it's boring, but it's good for your stomach,"

Usagi smiled weakly and opened her mouth to take the first spoonful and savored the hearty flavor of the soup, "It's _very_ good... where did you buy it?"

"I made it," Mamoru waited for her to completely swallow what she had in her mouth and took another spoonful; Usagi widened her eyes "You made this? For me?" She opened her mouth and took another spoonful, "Yes," Mamoru waited for her to be ready for the next spoonful, "You were not expecting me to buy you take-out food while you are dealing with a severe stomach infection, or do you?"

"I didn't know you knew how to make something like this..." Usagi licked the corner of her mouth and opened it again to take the next spoonful and saw him smile with a hint of melancholy, "We used to make a lot of stews and soups when I was in the orphanage because it was faster and more filling—not to mention cheaper for the people in charge of managing the budget to buy food for so many kids."

Usagi blinked very surprised to hear him speak about the orphanage so casually, it was so rare but it was precious for her because she knew how hard it was for him to open up about things such as those. Little by little, Mamoru had been giving her glimpses of his childhood that made her appreciate and admire him even more, that made her understand why he was the way he was.

"That is why you know how to cook so well..."

"I don't know if _so_ _well_ hits the mark. I'm no near to be as good as Mako is," Mamoru chuckled and gave her another spoonful, "But I know a thing or two... I always had chores in the kitchen and when I turned twelve, I started to be more involved in the cooking process and pretty much stayed there until I got out,"

Usagi felt her heart shrink in her chest and continued eating the soup in silence until she was done with the whole mug and took her medicines without complaints as a way to thank him for all what he was doing for her. Mamoru helped her get up a while after so she could go to the bathroom, brush her teeth and wash her face and all remaining traces of makeup before helping walk back to the bed again and snuggled her in between the pillows. From that moment, Mamoru didn't leave Usagi's side for the rest of the night; he stayed up until late working on the patient's case, reading, and he would regularly check on his sick girlfriend. Usagi would wake up crying in frustration or because she was having cold sweats or because she was very cold and he would wake up to make her feel better by putting damp cloths on her forehead and neck to break the fever, give her water to keep her hydrated, or carry her to the bathroom every time she needed to go or felt nauseous and rub her back to soothe her and lull her so she could go back to sleep.

Mamoru turned to check on the hour and realized it was time for him to start getting ready to go to work. The next morning had come sooner as he would have expected it but thankfully, Usagi had been sleeping for over two hours straight with no alarming symptoms. Careful enough to not wake her up, he got out of bed and went to put the coffee machine to work while he went to take a shower and get ready for work. A half hour later he was ready to head out the door. The man was beyond exhausted, he barely had any sleep but as expected, Usagi finally had gone through the almost cathartic phase and her body reacted to the antibiotics to fight the infection as he was expecting and she was finally sleeping tranquil. The worst had finally passed—he thought with relief. He sat next to her on the bed and made sure everything was under control and left a note on the nightstand with all the instructions to follow with her medications. He leaned down and kissed her softly on her temple a couple of times and smiled softly as he watched her sleep. This was something he loved to do. He could look at her all day and bask in this warm feeling of knowing she was his other half, that she was there for him as much as he was there for her. It always moved him to the core to think how wonderful it was to have her in his life—her, his girl of hair of moonbeam with the perfect derriere. His Usako.

"I love you Buns, all the way back to the world we belong... I love you."

O—o—O

A couple of hours later, Usagi stretched in bed and turned to the side only to find the bed empty. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the bright light from the morning sun was being blocked by the thick curtains that were still closed.

"Mamo-chan?" She quickly turned to look for him and turned to get her phone and let out a sad sigh when she saw the hour, "Ten-thirty..." she laid back on the bed as her nose picked up the slipstream of his cologne still lingering in the air confirming he was no longer there.

"I didn't get to wish you a good day at work—" Usagi pouted her lips, "I didn't get to wish you a happy birthday..." she turned to the nightstand to get her phone again when she saw the little post-it he left next to her medicines and smiled when she read through his impeccable handwriting.

 **うさこ** **,**

 **台所に食べ物がある、それを（慎重に）加熱し、青と黄色の容器に丸薬を取る**

 **多量の水分を飲ませて休ませる**

 **これはあなたが一日中眠るための最良の機会です。**

 **どちらかと言えば、私を呼んでください、私はあなたを愛しています**

 _Usako,_

 _There is food in the kitchen, heat it (carefully) and take the pills in the blue and yellow containers._

 _Drink plenty of liquids and rest._

 _This is the best opportunity for you to sleep all day—take it._

 _If anything, call me, I love you._

-O-

The little note brought back all the things that happened the night before. The sweating, the horrible dizziness, and nausea, the tears of frustration for not being able to move on her own and depend on him for everything, the intense fever and how her loving boyfriend never left her side through all that. It was then when she realized Mamoru stayed up all night watching over her and that he even skipped his lunch hour the day before to bring her to the apartment and couldn't fight the tears pooling in her eyes. Usagi pulled the covers and slowly got out of bed, took her pills and the little note, and walked out of the bedroom. As soon she stepped into the kitchen, she saw there was another pastel yellow post-it waiting for her, this time, over a wooden lid that said:

 **申し訳ありませんが、今回はバターミルクより小麦粉が優れていますが、それでもまだ良いです。**

 _Sorry, wheat flour is better than buttermilk this time, but they're still good._

Usagi took the lid and saw a stack of three mini wheat pancakes and made her break into tears thinking how this wonderful man had gone to the very lengths to take care of her and make her feel better even if he was not there. She turned to heat the small stack in the microwave and went to turn the radio on while she waited for her food. Her eyes widened when she heard the radio host stating the weather forecast for that day,

 _"Ohayo! It's a warm summer day, for today August 3rd, the temperatures will rise up to 60 °F with an 80% chance of showers. Heavy rain is expected to fall throughout the day so please take your precautions when driving and carry that umbrella under your arm if you are walking or taking public transportation. No thunderstorms are expected to visit us, but you never know! Let's be safe out there!"_

Usagi turned to look out the window and sighed softly as she looked out the heavy dark clouds in the sky, "It always rains..." she muttered with a hint of sadness and immediately felt she needed to do something no matter how big or small or how limited she was with her options due to her current situation. She had to brighten this day for her loving boyfriend one way or another. She was determined. The minute Usagi finally admitted she had fallen in love with Mamoru all those years back, she made a promise to herself to always do her best to make him smile so as soon as she finished her breakfast, she went to get her phone to start with her plan and dialed the number she knew by heart and smiled when she got a quick answer.

O—o—O

Usagi opened the door thirty minutes after she ended her call and smiled when she saw her good friend and soul sister standing in the hall. "Thank you so much for coming,"

Minako tilted her head and took her black stilettos before walking into the apartment, "You are most certainly welcome, Usa-chan. The minute you told me you were sick I used it as an excuse to take an extra hour after my lunch break to come and do the favor you asked me," she smiled and turned to her friend, "I couldn't even ask, what happened to you?"

"Food poisoning that viciously morphed into a severe stomach infection," Usagi walked back into the kitchen and put her plates in the sink. Minako pursed her lips "Good gracious, that doesn't sound too good,"

"No. I felt like I was going to die," Usagi said as she continued washing the dishes, "Literally,"

"How did you get sick?" Minako went to the fridge and turned to her friend, "Can I get something to drink?"

"Please, Mina-chan, what kind of question is that? Of course, you can—help yourself out."

Minako smiled and opened the fridge and looked inside, "I am always very surprised how your darling boyfriend always has his fridge so full of goodies—you say it's a custom, right?"

"Yes, I haven't asked him why but I guess it has something to do with his time in the orphanage, so, I better leave it at that." Usagi closed the faucet and took a towel to dry her hands and turned to Minako, "But I am sure it also has to do with the fact I raid his fridge all the time. I spend more time here than my house, so much, Luna prefers to stay with you than me lately."

Minako chuckled, "I don't blame her—Artemis lives there." Minako smiled and grabbed a bottle of water and closed the door, she turned to her friend, "And I don't blame you either."

Usagi felt lost for words and just chuckled nervously. Minako caught the hint and smiled, "So, what's the culprit of this horrible infection?"

"I ate at this new Thai place and apparently the meat on my dish was in bad state," Usagi leaned on the island counter, "I felt so bad, Minako-chan. Mika, my co-worker, was so worried she insisted I had to get medical attention so I left the office in the middle of the day without notice,"

"And went straight into the arms of your beloved," Minako wiggled her brows making Usagi laugh, "Of course—he's the best!"

Minako pinched her friend's nose and winked an eye at her, "Good girl. That's how you do it." She smiled, "And how are you feeling now?"

"I still feel a little weak, but I am so much better than how I was yesterday..." Usagi crossed her arms and leaned back on the counter, "I had this terrible fever that wouldn't go down, Mamo-chan had to give me an injection with an antibiotic." She sighed sheepishly, "It doesn't matter how old I get, I am such a baby with syringes. But now that I'm doing a recount of yesterday's events, I'm realizing all the things Mamo-chan did for me; he skipped his lunch break to bring me here and deal with my childish behavior and when he got home, he made me soup, comforted me, carried me to the bathroom every time I needed to go and he literally stayed up all night taking care of me... he must be having a hard day today because of me and it's his birthday on top of it all..."

"Oh, that's right! He's a birthday boy for the day! It's August 3rd!" Minako's eyes widened with realization and looked for her phone, "Oh, I am going to send him a message! I imagine he's busy right now,"

"Yes, for what I heard. He's treating a very sick patient... that's why I feel worse that he didn't get enough rest, he must be exhausted."

Minako leaned closer and pinched her cheek, "I am more than certain that he did it gladly." She smiled, "When it comes to you... nothing stands in his way and he never complains. A bad night's sleep is nothing for him as long as he's sure you are okay."

"He's so good to me..." Usagi smiled, "That's why I asked you for this huge favor of bringing me some things since I can't go out on my own."

"Well, Sis... you know I got your back," Minako winked and pointed the paper bags over the sleek kitchen island counter "I brought all the things you need and more," she frowned when she saw her friend taking the items out, "But I do have one question though, have you ever baked a chocolate cake before?"

"No,"

"Okay... not that I mind you called _me_ but why not Mako-chan? She could have baked it for you or give you any tips on how to bake one,"

"I know, I know... but it's something I want to do on my own. I checked for easy recipes online and I found one I think Mamo-chan will like because it's made with dark chocolate. It's supposed to be less sweet than a normal chocolate cake, so that will hit the mark."

"That's sweet, but, Usa-chan," Minako pursed her lips, "But do you even know how to use an oven... or _that_ one at least?"

"Nope,"

"Uh... okay?"

Usagi sighed softly, "Trust me, this isn't anything remotely close to what I had in mind for his birthday. I know he doesn't like to do anything so I thought this would be a nice way to keep things low-key and casual but with a small element of surprise. Also, since it's pouring outside... it will be nice to have a slice of good chocolate cake with coffee,"

"It always rains like there is no tomorrow..."

"Every year without fail,"

"Strange..." Minako bit her lower lip, "And he never talks about it?"

"No," Usagi sighed, "He doesn't act depressed or anything... more like... I don't know... disconnected."

Minako turned to look outside with a sad gleam in her cornflower eyes and sighed, "Alright," she turned to her best friend, "Be _very_ careful with all the sparklers. I don't think your fiancé will appreciate it if you start a fire in his always impeccable apartment." She chuckled, "I got you tall and short candles, sprinkles of all colors of the rainbow, dark chocolate chips, cocoa powder... you said you had baking powder here, right?"

"Yes," Usagi said with a big smile, "I checked and he has flour and the other ingredients I need..."

"Perfect," Minako widened her eyes, "Oh, before I forget..." she went to get her large orange tote purse and put a black box on the bar, "Here you go,"

"Ahh!" Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement "You picked it up! Yay!"

"Of course! You asked me for a favor and I delivered, my dear friend," Minako winked her eye and looked at the box with curiosity, "What is it, anyway?"

"Mamo-chan's present," Usagi smiled widely and opened the box to show her friend her rare and unique purchase, "I ordered it the very minute I saw the ad online... the second I saw it, I knew it was _perfect_ for him."

Minako widened her eyes when she saw it was an eye-catching wristwatch with a featured deep-blue celestial disc set in solid gold with miniature crystal stones mimicking twinkling stars. " .god Usagi-chan... it's beautiful!" She blinked with shock and looked at her friend, "This must have cost you a freaking fortune!"

Usagi took the watch with tremendous care and shrugged her shoulders, "Well... it sure was on the pricey side, but... Minako-chan..." she sighed, "This is not even a speck compared to all the things Mamo-chan has ever given me or done for me. I didn't even think about how much it cost, when it's about him, I just... I can't help myself..."

"Awww!" Minako grinned and pinched her friend's cheek, "You're so sweet, look at you all blushed!"

"I love him, Minako-chan, I love him so, so, _so_ much," Usagi sighed again and looked down at the exquisite watch, "I love him to the moon and back to the world we belong."

Minako's smile softened with tenderness for her friend. It sure was something beautiful, to see her friend so in love but also, to see how the man of her dreams did everything in his power to look out for her and make her this happy. They deserved to be together, they deserved this love and this over the top happiness.

"TerraLuna," Minako read the sleek golden writing on the silk fabric inside the case, "What a beautiful name." Usagi nodded as she put the watch back inside the velvet pillow and closed the thick box, "It's an exclusive limited-edition model from this brand of fine watches, it's inspired by astronomy,"

"My goodness... you two are all about the details," Minako looked at her friend with awe, "It's like it was meant for you to find it and for him to have it,"

"Right!?" Usagi nodded with excitement, "Also, it's fancy enough for him to wear it for work and casual enough for him to wear it every day."

"I don't think he will even mind if it fits the occasion or not, he is going to _love_ it—it's beautiful." Minako nodded and looked up at her friend with a wide grin, "You guys are so cute... it's like when you got him that mug with his constellation for Christmas." Usagi nodded, "Yeah," she turned and pointed the black mug sitting proudly on the counter next to her white mug, "He likes to keep it on display,"

"You two are perfect for each other." Minako took another sip of her water, "I'm guessing you had it delivered to your office so he wouldn't suspect anything, right?"

"Yeah, also because it was easier for me to pick it up—if it had gotten home, nobody would have been there to sign for the delivery. Thank goodness Mika was there," Usagi sighed, "I didn't have time to wrap it as I would have liked—"

"Oh Sweetie, trust me, he _won't_ mind." Minako cupped her cheek and smiled, "It fills my heart with tremendous joy to see you two are so happy and so in love, you deserve it." Usagi went to hug her friend tightly, "Thank you so much for everything, Mina-chan,"

"Of course! I am the goddess of love and I was on a mission," Minako giggled and looked down at her phone to check the hour, "Oh... I have to go, guess I'll leave you to your baking adventure. Let me know how that goes..." she chuckled, "Send me pictures when you have that cake ready,"

"I promise," Usagi walked her friend to the door, "Wish me luck." Minako chuckled as she slid her feet into her 5-inch stilettos and turned to her friend, "You'll do fine... but..." she turned and put the fire extinguisher next to her friend, "You know... just in case,"

Usagi burst into laughter and waved her friend goodbye and watched Minako closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and returned to the kitchen with the extinguisher in her hand but with her mind ser on a mission to bake _the_ perfect dark chocolate cake to celebrate her boyfriend's birthday. She looked for a cake mold she knew she had left from that time Makoto was there to bake a cake for their holiday party. She took a few glass bowls from one of the cabinets and the right utensils to start working on her masterpiece. She put her phone on the counter to read the instructions and follow them step by step with much care and precision measured the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. She has never been so diligent with a cooking project as she was being with this birthday cake and she made sure everything looked like in the pictures of her recipe. She even documented the whole process and sent Minako the pictures of her progress. Things got tricky when it was time for her to turn the oven on to let it preheat; at first, she felt confident but then she agreed with Minako that the one in Mamoru's apartment looked nothing like the one she had at home or like the one Makoto had in her place so she decided to play it safe and called the only person that could help her that very moment. She went to the door to use the intercom and pressed the button for management and in a matter of minutes, her call was returned and heard a knock on the door.

Usagi opened it and smiled at the building manager, "Ohayo, Takahina-san!"

"Tsukino-san, good day," the man smiled, "Well, I was really surprised to get a buzz from this apartment since Chiba-san rarely uses that intercom," he looked at her with slight worry, "Is something wrong?"

Usagi chuckled shyly, "Uh, no, everything's fine... but... I was hoping you could help with something more technical...?"

"Sure thing, Tsukino-san, what can I do for you?"

"Uh well," Usagi stepped aside to let the manager in after taking his shoes off and walked into the kitchen, "I want to bake a cake but I don't know how to turn this oven on. Usually, Mamoru is the one that knows how to use it," she blushed and turned to look at him, "I could do it myself but I really don't want to make a mistake and cause a fire,"

The manager chuckled, "No problem, Tsukino-san, that's easy, I'll teach you how to do it," he went to take a look at the fancy oven and turned the knobs, "You use this small button to start the heat and with these buttons you set the temperature you want, see? It's easy." Usagi smiled widely, "Ah, it sure is," she sighed with relief, "I'm so sorry for having you come up all the way here just for this,"

"Don't worry, Tsukino-san, I am always glad to be of help. Chiba-san has always been very attentive and polite toward me and he has even helped me when I haven't felt my best, and so are you, so this is nothing for me," the man smiled at her, "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that was all, thank you so much, Takahina-san." Usagi let the oven preheat and walked the manager to the front door, "If anything comes up with the oven, let me know," the man waved his hand; Usagi waved her hand and closed the door and went back to the kitchen to grease the mold and put the batter inside before putting the mix in the oven to let it cook and started to clean the kitchen so there would not be any single traces of her surprise while taking glances at the clock in the living room to measure the time of the cake in the oven and when Mamoru might be heading back home. Once she was done washing and drying everything she used to make the cake batter, she put them away and went quickly to get her phone and call Motoki, hoping she wouldn't be interrupting anything important. Three rings after and a very cheerful greeting welcomed the blonde's call, _"Hey, Usagi-chan!"_

"Hi Motoki-oniisan, how are you? Are you busy? Am I interrupting?"

 _"Not at all, Usa-chan, don't worry. Actually, I was about to take my lunch break, what's up? Oh, by the way, how are you doing? Mamoru told me what happened to you, how are you feeling?"_

"Much better, thank you. Having food poisoning is the worst... I felt like I was going to die,"

 _"Yeah, I know. The first 24 hours are hell on Earth..."_ he chuckled, _"Trust me, I've been there... but I am glad you are doing much better. So, tell me, Usa-chan, what do I owe this lovely call from you? Is it by any chance related to the birthday boy?"_

"Yes," Usagi giggled, "You know me well, Furu-chan,"

 _"Are you trying to locate him?"_

"Uh, more like monitoring him without him knowing... the thing is, I am planning a little surprise for him for when he gets home, you know how he's not a big fan of his birthday but I mean, how can I ignore the fact that he was born today? I can't just ignore this day and not celebrate it with him,"

 _"Ah, well, you know your fiancé likes to keep things very low-key."_

"Yeah,"

" _Well, I do know he is meeting with a patient right now and I am seeing here on the chart that he has a few more scheduled appointments during the day, so I think you will have plenty of time before he ends his shift,"_

"I know he's very busy... he told me about a very sick patient he's treating."

" _Yeah, that case has been keeping us busy all morning. But we're doing our best. His lunch break isn't until another couple of hours—if he decides to take one, that is. I'll let you know if something comes up,"_

"Thank you so much Furu-chan! I haven't gotten another message from him, so I was just checking that he wasn't driving all the way here to check on me because that would ruin the surprise,"

 _"If he plans to, I'll find an excuse to stall him, Usa-chan, don't worry. I won't let him sabotage your plans."_

"You're the best Furu-chan,"

 _"Not for nothing I'm your Oniisan, Usa-chan."_ He chuckled, _"Alright, little Sis, I have to go, but I will keep you posted,"_

"Thank you, thank you!"

 _"You are very welcome and take care alright? Are you taking your medicines as your doctor instructed?"_

"Yes, doctor, I am."

 _"Alright, good girl. Take care, Usa-chan."_

"Bye, Motoki-oniisan,"

O—o—O

Motoki hung up and turned to Mamoru who was walking back to the nurse's station and gave Maki, the nurse behind the front desk, a chart with the information on the patient he just consulted and sighed softly. Motoki arched his brow, "Tired?" Mamoru turned to his friend and rubbed his temple, "It's been a long day,"

"So... I got a text from your fiancé," Motoki smiled and waved his hand to dismiss his friend's worried look, "Don't worry, she's fine. She tried to reach you but you were busy with a patient at a time so she asked me to tell you she was feeling much better and that she's still resting so you wouldn't feel pressured to go home and check on her." He saw his friend looking more relieved but at the same time, his face was still showing as if something was bothering him, "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah..." Mamoru let out a soft sigh of relief and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just tired,"

"Because you didn't sleep last night,"

"I won't lie to you, I really wished I could push all of my appointments for tomorrow since all are follow-ups,"

"But?" Motoki crossed his arms, "I feel it coming, another but,"

"I'm meeting Chieko in 40 minutes,"

Motoki's eyes widened "Oh,"

"Yeah..."

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"Today?"

"Today,"

"August 3rd,"

"Yes,"

"On your birthday..."

"Yes, today, my birthday." Mamoru sighed, "I spoke to her assistant to set up the meeting and this was the only day she had available to meet with me,"

"Of course, she did. Why am I even surprised?"

"Hmm..."

"Man..." Motoki shook his head and let out a hearty chuckle, "Life sure likes to give you some good punches, but it's also kind of obvious that she did this on purpose,"

"I don't know," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and turned to sign a discharge form, "I don't care,"

"Hmm," Motoki frowned, "So, I'm guessing she knows it's you who's meeting with her, then,"

"That's kind of a given, Motoki," Mamoru arched his brow, "If you make an appointment with someone, you have to give your full name,"

"True, but you could have given my name..." Motoki looked at his friend with wonder, Mamoru sighed and motioned his friend to follow him to the elevator, "What for? Either way, she was going to know it was me, better do this sooner than later and be over with it,"

"Rip the moment like a freaking band-aid,"

"Exactly,"

"You are really doing this. You are really going to purchase that house," Motoki pressed the elevator button and looked at his friend with both admiration and awe; Mamoru nodded, "I am. I won't lie to you and say I'm excited to meet with _her_ , but I'm trying to focus on the bigger picture and to me, it's Usa."

"I hear you, alright," Motoki patted Mamoru's shoulder when the doors opened, "Let me know when you're back, I want to hear how that meeting went." Motoki smiled and turned on his heel, "Oh and Mamoru," he stopped and looked at his friend over his shoulder with a grin.

"Yeah?" Mamoru stepped into the elevator, Motoki arched his brow, "Try not to rip each other's head for lunch. Like it or not, it's your birthday."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes with annoyance as he pressed the lobby button and waited for the doors to close in front of him.

O—o—O

Twenty minutes later into the traffic, Mamoru finally parked his black Audi outside of the Ritz-Carlton and gave his keys to the valet as he walked into the fancy lobby. Once inside, he was immediately greeted by a very attentive staff member and couldn't help to think how much things have changed and how different it was now compared to those times he was treated with indifference and a judgmental tone because of the thrift-bought gems he had for clothing. He couldn't help the bitter taste at the back of his throat every time he had to come to places like these to meet with investors or people who wanted to do business with his family's financial company. It didn't matter how many years had passed, it always put him in defense mode.

It made him uncomfortable every time he had to meet with Chieko and her friends at places like these—a total nightmare. How many things have changed, when not too long ago he had to wait outside because his dress code did not meet the places' standard or when he had to wait to validate his appearance and status and actually believe he was meeting with people inside. But now, while it was not the same people that were there eleven years ago, he was sure things haven't changed that much.

"Welcome to the Ritz-Carlton, Sir, may I ask where are you heading?"

"The Lobby Lounge," Mamoru looked down at his watch to make sure he was in time and then at the man in front of him, "I'm meeting with someone,"

"Allow me to take you there, Sir, please, right this way,"

"Thank you,"

Both men walked in silence until Mamoru was led to an exclusive area and a much more private area at the lobby and bowed his head, "May you have a very nice day, Sir,"

"Thank you," Mamoru turned to the hostess who was already greeting him with the same politeness and practiced elegance as the other man, "Welcome to The Ritz-Carlton Lobby Lounge, Sir, do you have an appointment with us?"

"Good day—I am already being expected. My name is Chiba Mamoru,"

"Ah, yes, my apologies for the inconvenience, Chiba-san. Hisakawa-san is already here," the woman nodded with a polite smile, "Please, right this way,"

At the very end of the fancy and well-lit lounge, Hisakawa Chieko sat elegantly with her assistant and quickly looked up when she saw the hostess stopping in front of her table to give her notice that her appointment had arrived. Chieko's eyes widened when she saw Mamoru and quickly dismissed the hostess to have more time to look at him and silently admire his presence. Her assistant quickly stood from her seat and followed her very studied protocol and bowed her head before offering her hand out to Mamoru, "Chiba-san, it is very nice to meet you. I am Shimizu Hanae, we spoke over the phone yesterday, I am Hisa—"

"It's alright, Hanae-san," Chieko interrupted her young assistant and stood up with a posh attitude, her green eyes never leaving Mamoru's magnetic blue ones, "I will take the meeting from here. I've known Chiba-san for quite some time so no further protocol is necessary," she turned to her assistant and arched her brow with authority, "I want to speak to him in private, I will call you if I need you to come. You can wait for me in the lobby."

"Certainly, Hisakawa-san," the assistant turned to Mamoru and bowed her head with a slight blush on her cheeks as she turned to leave, "Excuse me, Chiba-san, good day,"

Mamoru nodded in respect and turned to Chieko, who had not moved from her place behind the modern round table, but that had most certainly noticed the wonders time had done to her ex-boyfriend looking beyond impeccable and handsome in his gray-blue shirt, black slacks, and sleek navy-blue tie. "Well, this is quite an unexpected surprise,"

"Good afternoon, Chieko."

Chieko was immediately drawn by the low and warm tone of his voice and his alluring and magnetic presence, something that still remembered from that young man who used to work at a store as a clerk boy and felt a rush of nostalgic and raw emotions fluttering in the pit of her stomach as he looked at him standing there looking all regal and poised.

"Good afternoon, Mamoru. Please..." she motioned him to sit, "If it wasn't because I am seeing you in front of me right at this very moment, I would have thought my assistant was playing a bitter joke on me,"

"Interesting choice of words," Mamoru mumbled as he took the chair in front of her and turned to take a glance around the lounge and then at her, "I could have gone to your office to have this meeting, meeting here is a little unnecessary,"

"I met with a client close by, this worked for me," Chieko leaned back in her chair, "Besides... you are not just _any_ client. I had to give you some special treatment, you know, for old time's sake,"

"I'm flattered..." Mamoru said dryly, "I appreciate the sentiment, although, I am no different than any other client that is here to talk business with you." Chieko looked at him and arched her brow again with interest, "What can I do for you, Mamoru?"

"I am interested in a house your company has under its exclusive listings—I got a call from one of your agents but I thought it was best if I spoke with you directly to see where I stand and what its needed to be done to get that property."

"I see," Chieko looked for her fancy leather portfolio and took her tablet out to check her agenda and email, "It was you who spoke to my assistant yesterday?"

"Yes,"

"Did you give the information about the property to her?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded; Chieko gave Mamoru a quick glance before looking down at her tablet again, "I didn't know it was you until today,"

"Sure..."

"She did mention—" their conversation was interrupted by one of the waiters, "Excuse me, can I offer you something to drink?"

"Coffee," both Mamoru and Chieko answered at the same time and looked at each other in silence for a couple of seconds. The tension between them was almost palpable, both trying to ignore but it was there, cutting the air like a sharp knife shredding every fiber of their past and how things ended between them. Chieko tried her best to look as collected as Mamoru but the truth was that she was too immersed in his attractiveness and his almost sensual baritone voice that it was becoming too difficult for her to focus and keep herself together. Life was surely playing a bitter joke on her, one where she could see a reality where she was no longer with him and they were not close anymore. One where she was reminded of that instant attraction she once felt for him and many bottled feelings she put away.

"So, the house you are interested in..." Chieko decided to ignore the waiter who was serving their coffee in fancy white cups and looked down at the information in her agenda, "Ah yes, I see which one it is. We recently got its exclusivity. I heard the people who were going to buy it had some sort of problems with the payment,"

"So I was told by the agent,"

"It is an expensive property, Mamoru." Chieko looked at him a little impressed, "Futako-Tamagawa has skyrocketed the price of its land due to all the commerce built around it. It's elite."

"I don't mind the cost,"

Chieko arched her brow and let out a soft chuckle, "No, of course, you don't." She looked up at him and finally decided it was best to face the situation up front, "I see you finally embraced your wealth. For you to decide to buy such an exclusive property in such elegant neighborhood is a little surprising, given your previous thoughts on such matters. I don't know if you have been there, but that that house is far from being humble."

"My thoughts and principles remain very much the same, Chieko." Mamoru crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "Me having money has not affected my interests and beliefs."

"You hired my father to be your legal and financial advisor at seventeen,"

"Yes, so?"

Chieko sighed and leaned forward, "The kind of life you have led after we split up hasn't been very humble, in my opinion. It hasn't had that honest flair you so much presumed."

"Your point is?"

"I know you live in Azabu Juban, Mamoru, and I happen to know where. I know the cost of living in that apartment of yours, I have taken care of many properties there for many clients. That particular building included. You may not have chosen to live in one of the penthouses but it's still posh and expensive. You weren't able to pay for it just by living with your humble philosophy of staying true to yourself and doing things on your own, working as a waiter or in another store as a clerk."

"Are you mocking me?" Mamoru arched his brow, Chieko rests her chin on her hand, "No, I am stating a truth. I work in real estate Mamoru, whenever I see a property, I see numbers and wherever I see numbers, I see the price of a lifestyle and a person's value,"

"Well, thank you again for stating how much I am worth." Mamoru muttered sardonically, "That way we can put this out of the way and talk about business,"

"How sharp of you, Mamoru,"

"Time is money, Chieko." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "That is an investor's golden motto. Either we are here for business or let me be on my way, so we don't keep wasting our time."

"You sound like my father,"

"He taught me well all I needed to know."

"How charming," Chieko sighed, "After the bidding was dropped by the potential owners, no one has really matched the price. Meaning, it's still on the market."

"Well, I am here to make an offer and start a bid on it." Mamoru crossed his arms, "As soon as possible."

"That property is practically new..." Chieko read the information on the house, "Everything on it... they rebuilt it."

"I was given the information when I was there."

"You saw it, then,"

"Yes,"

"So..." Chieko typed something on her phone and turned to look up at her ex-boyfriend, "It came to me the rumor that you are dating someone," she arched her perfect shaped brow, "That you got engaged,"

"I see..." Mamoru leaned to take his cup of coffee and took a sip, "Rumors still spread like wildfire in your fine circle of socialites,"

"Why does it surprise you?" Chieko smirked, "That usually happens when important people are involved,"

"Now I'm important?" Mamoru let out a cynical chuckle, Chieko narrowed her eyes, "Oh please Mamoru, you are a wealthy man, of course, you are."

"How ironic," Mamoru put his cup down and let out a light scoff, "That wasn't the case eleven years ago,"

"Eleven years ago you were different."

"Because I worked at a store and I had no money to spend on designer clothes?" Mamoru sighed tiredly, "Boring,"

"You wore second-hand clothing for goodness sake, Mamoru." Chieko took a sip of her coffee, "Set your facts straight. You barely even tried."

"Didn't care,"

"You clearly do now." She looked him up and down and smirked, "I will even dare to say I have something to do with it."

"Don't. You didn't."

"Was it her, then?"

Mamoru looked at her and took a sip of his coffee, "All of a sudden you care what I do or don't do?" Chieko mimicked the act and took another sip of her coffee, "I always did. But you must admit you weren't like this back then."

"I didn't come here to reminisce about the past,"

"Is it true, then. You really are engaged?"

"Chieko,"

"What? It's an honest question, Mamoru."

"Yes, it's true."

Chieko frowned, "To whom?"

Mamoru looked at her with confidence, "A wonderful woman,"

"Keiko?" It was time for Chieko to arch her brow with curiosity; Mamoru let out a hearty chuckle and shook his head as he put his cup down, "My goodness,"

"What?"

"I can't believe it,"

"Why?" Chieko frowned, Mamoru gave her a wry look "Keiko? Really?"

"Well, didn't you cheat on me with her?"

"Ah..." Mamoru chuckled and nodded his head, "Right, right... by the way, how's Daichi doing?"

The comment fell like a bucket of ice over Chieko's head and as much as she wanted to reply to his bitter comeback. She could not come up with anything valuable enough to throw in his face; they were past that stage. Mamoru tilted his head and crossed his arms, "Two can play this stupid game, Chieko, but I am not here to talk about my personal life, I'm here for business."

"Whether you like it or not, you will need to share personal information to see if you qualify for the bidding on that property,"

"Such as?"

Chieko took a deep breath and put her tablet down, "I will need a copy of your bank statements for the last six months. Also, a letter written and signed by you stating your profession, workplace, and monthly income,"

Mamoru nodded, "Very well,"

"You will also have to pay a brokerage fee of 3% of the purchase price _plus_ ¥60,000 _plus_ consumption tax that currently stands at 8%."

"Alright,"

Chieko slid a leather portfolio with a set of forms to him and looked at him, "You will need to fill out an application to purchase put together by the company. There is oftentimes a lottery carried out depending on the number of applications received, so please keep in mind your offer to purchase may not be accepted even after applying. There will also be an application fee that is usually between ¥20,000 and ¥100,000 that will be returned if your application is not accepted. In the event your application is accepted, this money will be allocated to the earnest money that you will pay at the time of executing the purchase agreement. The reason to use a letter of intent is to let us know you are seriously considering purchasing the property. There are a lot of possible contents in a letter of intent, but its real purpose is to serve as the beginning point for your negotiations."

Mamoru leaned to grab the portfolio and looked at the papers inside and continued listening to Chieko, "You will also will have to receive and review a legal disclosure document prepared by the seller's agent that is supposed to contain all of the material information any buyer would want to know to be able to make an informed purchase decision. The reason for the explanation is to reduce the number of disputes that break out between buyers and sellers by making sure buyers have sufficient information before executing a legally-binding purchase agreement. Once you are satisfied with the content of the explanation of important matters, it will be time to sign the purchase agreement. You should make sure the purchase agreement contains all of the matters you have agreed with the seller, in this case, the contractors and us. In addition, if your purchase will take place during the middle of the year, we need to make sure to cover the portion of the fixed asset tax and city planning tax that corresponds to the number of days the property has been with us during that year. In the alternative, you can discount the purchase price by this same amount—just to mention a few important points before bidding for a property. If you decide to continue with the process, I will guide you along with that would be needed next,"

Mamoru continued reading silently and nodded, "Fair enough—this all looks basic and clear," he looked at her, "I will talk to your father to gather the information you need and I will work on that explanation letter,"

"I suppose you won't be looking for any mortgage or loans to buy the property,"

"No,"

"Very well," Chieko nodded and leaned back, "Take that portfolio with you and take your time to read and fill those forms; here is my card with my phone number. Give me a call when you're done so we can start the bidding process." Mamoru leaned forward to grab Chieko's card and put it in his dark leather wallet and nodded, "I will, thank you, Chieko."

"I admit it's a strange feeling... to be talking to you. To be looking at you now." Chieko finished her coffee and took a moment to think her words, "It goes without saying that we didn't part ways in the best of terms. After that day, you kept your promise and I never heard from you again, so, I have to ask, why me? There are more people working at Environ. Why did you want to see me and negotiate this property with me directly?"

Mamoru sighed softly, "Because as much as it's hard for me to admit it, you are the best in your field. Sure, I could have asked for a different agent, but you practically own the agency Chieko. Who better than you to know how to win this property from other possible buyers."

"I must say I am flattered," Chieko looked at him more relaxed, "Coming from you, I will take that as a compliment. That person must be very special, to make you go through all the hassle that is to buy a property in Japan..."

"Speaking of which, there is one more thing," Mamoru crossed his arms, "I want to keep all this private—all questions and negotiations will be done directly with me. I do not want her to know about this," He handed her his card, "This is my personal number, call me if it's needed."

"Oh?" Chieko arched her brow, "Why so secretive Mamoru? I mean... I am not surprised. You aren't much of a talker, but... you know... if she's the woman you're marrying, why starting to keep secrets from her so soon?"

"It's a surprise for her." Mamoru looked at her nonchalantly, but his comment made Chieko feel a cold chill down to her bones and looked at him with restrained shock, "A surprise?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded, "The house is perfect for her and I want to surprise her,"

Chieko noticed the gleam in Mamoru's alluring eyes and let out a heavy sigh, "Very well... as you wish. I won't attempt to make contact with your fiancé." She looked at his card and smiled softly, "So, you became a doctor just like you said you would and you work at the finest hospital in Tokyo, I'm impressed."

"I wasn't lying," Mamoru looked at her, "It was really something I wanted to do,"

"I'm glad." Chieko put his card in her golden wallet and chuckled, but it didn't feel warm or nostalgic, more like a regret, "In the end, we both got what we wanted."

Mamoru sighed and nodded slowly, knowing exactly what she meant. Now that years had passed and that his mind and life was set in a different direction and perspective, he could see beyond the anger, the heartbreak and the deception he went through when he dated her all those years back. It was clear that despite being adults and with wealth, they were both living two different realities and for the first time in eleven years, he allowed himself to feel bad for her. Not even in his most lonely and darkest moments, Mamoru never wished Chieko an unhappy life. But the older he got, the more he could understand Mao's words that only confirmed her life motto: every action has a consequence, he learned it the hard way and by the look in Chieko's eyes, it was proof enough to confirm she also came to face that same truth and the results were very different from his. It was obvious, the tainted look of deception in her eyes, how despite having the fortune she always envisioned, she didn't get everything she said she wanted and deserved in life. The handsome doctor looked down at his watch and pursed his lips, "Ah..." he blew his bangs, "I need to go back to the hospital. I have appointments scheduled for the rest of the afternoon. Would this be all for today?"

"Yes," Chieko finished putting her things bang in her designer briefcase and turned to look at him with a frown, "Wait, what?"

"What?" Mamoru looked at her confused, Chieko arched her brow "You're going back to work?"

Mamoru let out a sardonic chuckle, "I'm a doctor Chieko, I can't take a day off."

"Huh," Chieko turned to ask for the check but Mamoru raised his hand and took out his wallet again, "I'll take care of this,"

"Thank you," Chieko pursed her lips and leaned back in her seat and took a good look at his ex-boyfriend as he gave his card to the waiter to pay for Chieko's lunch and the coffee, "I honestly thought you took the day off to do something for your birthday."

"No,"

"So you _really_ haven't changed..." She gave him a side smile, "You still hate it,"

"I don't _hate_ it..." Mamoru frowned when remembered those were the same words Motoki used and sighed as he signed the voucher the waiter was handing him and turned to Chieko, "I just don't—"

"—Care for it. To you, it's like any other day. I know. You told me—many times."

"Because it's the truth,"

"In your mind, at least."

"And this bothers you because...?"

"It doesn't. You can do whatever you want. You've always done it, either way. I know it's _not_ your thing, but since you are engaged to someone, the most natural thing for me to think was that _wonderful_ fiancé of yours would have done something to change your mind and celebrate it with you, no?"

"It's raining,"

"So? I would have imagined she would have at least taken the courtesy to take you out to dinner someplace nice, have a drink—I don't know, _something_. If she is as wonderful as you say she is, she would have done something." Chieko shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know her, but if she caught you, it's because there must be something _wonderful_ about this... woman."

"Yes," Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "She is."

"Then the weird one is you. You're truly are a different species, Chiba Mamoru."

Mamoru widened his eyes when Chieko's words made total and perfect sense. True, he wasn't fond to acknowledge his birthday much less to celebrate it because he had his own personal issues with it and he grew up not really caring for it and maybe that was because no one really paid as much attention as to why he didn't like it but this time things were different, and he realized the value of Usagi's undying care for him. How much she has tried to make it much less bitter each year and how she has stayed by his side through thick and thin, and right now, that beautiful and marvelous woman was alone, sick, on his birthday, waiting for him to get home.

Of all people, Chieko, his ex-girlfriend, the same that put him through some sort of hell was making him see the light—oh the irony. The freaking irony.

"I will give that to you," Mamoru chuckled and put his wallet back in his pocket and stood up, "I am one strange man." He smiled at her and offered her hand to help her stand. Chieko took it and walked with him to the hotel lobby and waited for their cars to be brought back by the valet. Chieko turned to her assistant who was walking toward her as she was taking a call, "Hisakawa-san, your next appointment is already waiting for you in your office,"

Chieko nodded and turned to Mamoru with a small smile; proving she was completely smitten and under the influence of his magnetic personality and striking looks, "That's alright... I got busy with a _very_ important client. If Ikeda-san wants to make the deal, he can wait." She turned to the entrance when she spotted her silver Mercedes and widened her eyes when the valet brought Mamoru's black Audi and parked it behind her car, "My, my... is that yours?" She chuckled and turned to look at him, "Is that what you call being humble?"

"It's called a hard-earned achievement, Hisakawa-san,"

"Hmm... then I hope you finally got rid of that horrible second-hand jacket and pair converse shoes..."

Mamoru chuckled and thanked the valet before taking his keys, "So, what happens now? Should I expect your call or should I look for another property?" Chieko smirked as she walked to her car, "Expect my call, Chiba-san, with the right assessment, that property will be yours." She turned to step into her car and turned to look at him, "Oh, and, Chiba-san?"

"Yes?" Mamoru turned over his shoulder, Chieko shrugged her shoulder, "At least eat some birthday cake for goodness sake, be normal for once, it won't kill you."

Mamoru took his seat behind the wheel and dialed a number before driving back into the streets of downtown Tokyo. The sound of a ringing phone resonated inside the hermetic car as he drove away.

 _"Hey," Motoki's_ voice came soon after, _"Is it over?"_

"The first part—that is,"

 _"Still with your head in place?"_

"Still with our heads in place,"

" _Good. So, how did it go?"_

"Surprisingly," Mamoru stopped at a red light and let out a much more relaxed sigh, "Not as bad as I expected the meeting would be, awkward, yes, but we dealt with it like civilized adults."

 _"That's good... so, where are you now?"_

"I am driving away from your wedding venue,"

 _"The Ritz? Really? Wow... you are such a pompous socialite,"_

"Yeah, yeah..." Mamoru chuckled, "Says the man who had almost a thousand guests at his wedding,"

 _"It was Reika, man, all Reika,"_ Motoki laughed, _"Okay so... is it done? The house is yours?"_

 _"Not yet, there are some steps I need to follow before I start the bid on the property, but I know I will get it."_

 _"I'm sure."_

"How are things at the hospital? Any urgencies I must take care of?"

" _Not really. Busy but nothing out of the ordinary. Meetings went well, I just finished a consultation—I'm now heading to my next one. What about you? Are you on your way back?"_

"Actually..." Mamoru drove past the exit that would take him back to the hospital and smiled, "I am going to take your word and clear my agenda for the rest of the day. I think I can push all my appointments to tomorrow. My next one is at four and it's three in the afternoon, I still have time to call the patient and re-schedule,"

 _"Don't worry—I'll take care of it. I'll ask Maki-san to do the calls for you... take it as my birthday present for you,"_

"My, my, I'm touched. Thank you."

 _"No problem, alright, birthday boy—go home to your girl. I will see you tomorrow."_

"See you tomorrow, thanks Motoki."

 _"Sure, bro. Drive safe—it's fu—I mean, it's freaking pouring outside."_

"Of course, what else did you expect?"

" _Weren't you born on a very sunny day?"_

"Supposedly,"

" _It's freaking summer, man. What the hell?"_

" _I know. I don't even know it myself—I stopped trying to understand a long time ago."_ Mamoru chuckled, "Alright, I'll talk to you later."

" _Happy birthday, Mamoru."_

"Thanks, Motoki,"

 _"Bye,"_

"Bye."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi was finishing adding the sprinkles Minako had gotten for her which she later noticed were in the shapes of tiny gold stars, making the whole thing even more appropriate. After her cake came out of the oven and put it on a rack to cool and of course checked it wasn't raw or poisonous, she went quickly to take a shower and put a fresh face of light makeup to pair it with a nice pale pink summer dress she had bought a couple of weeks ago for the occasion and walked back to start working on the frosting and decorations for the cake when she got a text from Motoki telling her Mamoru ended his shift early and that she should expect him to be home any minute now. With much care, Usagi quickly put the slim candles all over the cake and started to light them when she heard the clicking sound of keys unlocking the door.

Mamoru walked in and tossed his keys on the table by the door and walked past the genkan once he slid off his shoes and widened his eyes when he saw Usagi standing in the middle of the living room with a cake in her hands and stood completely taken by surprise. Usagi smiled and slowly walked over to him mentally praying not to trip while holding a very lit cake she had made with so much effort and began singing slowly, "Happy birthday to you..." she took another small step, "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday... my precious Mamo-chan..." she kept walking until she stood right in front of him and looked at him in the eye, "Happy birthday... to... you..." she smiled. Mamoru felt a lump in the back of his throat and his eyes burning with unshed tears just by seeing her looking all sweet and beautiful singing him happy birthday and with a sparkling cake in her hands all just for him; this was something he was not expecting at all and he was moved to the very core, "Usa..."

Usagi bit her lower lip nervously, "I know, I know... you don't like to celebrate this day but... you really can't expect me to ignore it's the day when the most wonderful man in the whole wide world was born."

"I—" Mamoru felt a coziness in his chest he has never felt before in his life and looked at the cake and then at his fiancé with tear-glossed eyes, "I-I don't know what to say... this is..." he smiled, "Usa... where did you get that cake?"

"I baked it just for you!" Usagi giggled and looked at the sparkling candles, "Come on! You have to make a wish and blow your candles before they die out otherwise it won't come true!"

Mamoru took a deep breath and blew all the candles and put his arm around Usagi's waist before he leaned down and kiss her with so much love for a couple of minutes. Once they parted, he turned and looked at the chocolate frosted cake like a kid in a candy store, "Did you really bake it?"

"Yep," Usagi nodded and put it back over the kitchen island. Mamoru followed as he undid the knot of his tie, "Usako, you shouldn't have to go through all that hassle... you're sick!"

Usagi gave him a sweet peck on his lips, "I am so much better now thanks to you and all your attention and care," Mamoru smiled and shook his head, "I-I really am lost for words... thank you _so_ much,"

"You like it?" Usagi gave him a proud grin, "I really did it all by myself—it's dark chocolate, so, it's not supposed to be super sweet, just like I know you like chocolate to be."

"It looks _really_ good," Mamoru went to sit on a stool and leaned closer to look at his cake, "And it's beautiful," he smiled and turned to her, "Wait, you really didn't call Mako to help you?"

"Nope," Usagi giggled, "All me, baby, aaaall me... oh, and I made coffee too! I figured, well, if it's raining outside like there is no tomorrow, at least let's make this day cozier, even though we're supposed to be in the middle of summer."

Mamoru chuckled as he looked at her with eyes full of love, "Yeah, despite having being born on a very sunny day, or so I've been told," he pulled his fiancé into his arms and kissed her softly. Usagi looked at him and cupped his face in her hands, "Let the sky fall to pieces outside—I've got my sun right here," she smiled and pulled back, "Which reminds me..." she went to grab the black box and put it on the bar in front of him, "I wish I had some ribbon to make a bow—or something that could at least resemble a bow." Mamoru looked at the box and then at his girlfriend, "Usa... what's this?"

"It's your present silly!" Usagi smiled, "A birthday isn't a birthday without cake and presents!"

"You really went all the way with this, didn't you?"

"Well, it's not what I had in mind... this stupid infection got the best of me..." Usagi chuckled, "I really wanted to take you someplace nice and wrap that present for you all cute to make all this a perfect moment,"

"This is more than perfect to me, Usa, thank you." Mamoru smiled and grabbed the box with care. Usagi nodded and sat on the stool next to him, "I really hope you like it, it's something I thought it was _perfect_ for you."

"Like the mug?"

"This is better than the mug. Much, much, _much_ better,"

"Oh?" Mamoru chuckled, "That is one heavy statement, Tsukino Usagi, you know how much I _love_ that mug,"

"I know, as much as coffee." Usagi wiggled her brows, "But trust me, you'll love this _way_ more. I'm excited! Open it up!"

Mamoru looked down and took the lid of the fancy black box and widened his blue eyes when he saw the gift sitting inside a velvet pillow, "Oh my god, Usa..."

"I know!"

"Usa..."

"It's perfect isn't it?"

Mamoru's lips parted in amazement as he took the precious wristwatch and looked at all the details in it, "Usagi..."

"Yes?"

"W-Where? Where did you get this?" Mamoru said completely astonished, Usagi leaned closer and took the watch from him and started taking the one he was wearing to put the new one on his wrist, "I was doing an ad for the magazine about this watch company and saw they came out with a limited-edition line inspired by astronomy. But that is not what caught my attention..." she smiled, "You see, my beloved Prince of Earth, this watch is called the _TerraLuna_ and it is a small exact replica of a planetarium with an orbital moon-phase display on the back. The miniature astronomical ballet shows the moon, but it also shows the constellation formed by the Earth, Moon, and Sun with these three little rotating discs you see here—it's supposed to symbolize the romance between the Earth and the Moon, just like you and me."

"Usagi, this must have cost you a for—" Mamoru blinked when Usagi put her index finger to his lips and shook her head, "Don't say it, don't even think about it—don't pay mind. I worked _really_ hard to get this for you and I want you to wear it guilt-free. I want you to wear it proudly because that way, it will make me feel very proud too." Usagi smiled and looked into his deep blue eyes, "Mamo-chan... this is a big deal for me. I wouldn't have been able to buy this gift if I didn't have the job I have, and I wouldn't have the job I have if I didn't have the knowledge to excel in it, and I wouldn't have my precious career if it wasn't for you and your undying love and support." She looked down at the gift, "To me, this watch is proof of all those years we had to be apart from each other, all those long-distance calls, the express holiday visits... our crazy schedules. The minute I saw it, I thought of you, my wonderful Prince of Earth, and I didn't hesitate to get it for you."

"I will guard this with my life, I swear," Mamoru took a deep breath and turned to see Usagi with so much emotion in his deep blue eyes, "Why are you so wonderful to me, Moon Princess? What did I ever do to deserve you, Tsukino Usagi?"

Usagi leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You have loved me for more lifetimes I can count—you found me in a world of blurry faces... just like you promised you would. And even in this era, you have loved me for who I am and have given me so much I can't even begin to thank you for every single one of them. I love you so much Mamoru, _so much_ , and I know this day is very hard for you but I promise you that I will try to make it brighter with every passing year because there's nothing more I like in this world than to see that precious smile of yours... that special one you craft just for me."

And just like that, Mamoru was completely dismantled by his beautiful princess and it made him even more eager to keep his plans to buy her that house and make that dream a reality. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy, to see her smile every single day. As he looked down at the gorgeous watch ticking on par with his heartbeat, Mamoru understood all this went beyond just the basic fact of its cost—it wasn't about that, it was about the sentiment and meaning hidden behind such objects. The essence is what made them so special, just like the mug, or her engagement ring. It went deeper than a price tag or a simple I love you, it was an eternal promise that had gone through the passages of time and space. A symbol of their union and that undying desire to love each other in a world where they feel they finally belong.

"I love you, Usako, to the Moon and back..." Mamoru looked at her with tears streaming down his beautiful eyes, a gesture Usagi quickly followed and leaned her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath to keep her own tears at bay, "To the place we belong. Happy birthday, my sweet Prince."

She looked at the cake and went to get a knife to cut it, "Ok," she exhaled and turned to her boyfriend with a wide smile, "So now... the moment of truth... shall we try this cake?"

"Yes, please," Mamoru smiled widely and took the knife and glided it down to cut the perfect slice, "We can order take out later, right now, let's have some delicious cake,"

"Yay!" Usagi threw her arms happily, "But, what if I get sick again Mamo-chan?" She blinked with worry and squealed with joy when Mamoru pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple, "Don't worry Moon Bunny... I'll take care of you. You're still taking antibiotics and you can always have another shot,"

Usagi blushed and bit her lower lip "Okay, I promise you I won't cry this time—too much,"

Mamoru chuckled with content, "Good."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Intimacy and cursing may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _ **AN:**_ _This chapter was intended to be called "Sky Blue", but, in the end, I thought using their cosmic mantra as chapter title was a more appropriate name since it could be the closure to the Shades of Blue mini-arc._ _You can find the reference to Motoki's wedding on "A tissue to the rescue"._

 _*The watch actually exists... you can find the reference as Celestial Mechanics - the "Terraluna" astronomic watch. It is really pretty and it really is supposed to reflect the romance between the Earth and the Moon._

 _*The house bidding is an actual process people must go through when purchasing a property in Japan. Serious research went on to this, but I was able to make a good and 'simplified' explanation of it._

 _ **Additional notes:**_

 _*Intensive Care Unit (ICU)_

 _*Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)_

 _*Step-Down Unit: A step-down unit is an area where an intermediate level of care is provided. This means that you don't need intensive care level treatment, but you're not stable enough to go to a standard floor._

 _*The Medical Floor: A floor unit in a hospital is where you're cared for when you don't require especially close monitoring. On the floor, your vital signs may be taken every few hours rather than being constantly monitored as you would be in the critical care areas. You may be able to walk to the bathroom with or without assistance and you're usually able to feed yourself and perform some self-care._


	9. You can find quirkiness in aisle five

Divinity: A day in the life

 _You can find quirkiness in aisle 5, right next to the cereals – Extra chapter_

"Yellow... yellow... yellow... what to do with you?"

Usagi sat in the middle of the living room at Mamoru's apartment, a spot she had claimed as her favorite space to work due the wide-open space and much peace she needed for every time she had a project or a deadline that required her full attention, a privilege she no longer had at home because of her brother's very loud friends that recently developed a custom to crash there every weekend for a get-together. To her, her brother's popularity at the university worked like a charm for her because it gave her the perfect alibi to come with a good excuse to spend the weekends with Mamoru who had finally settled a routine at the hospital with a much more normal schedule giving them the chance to make up for all the time they had to put into their internships or studies.

Finally, the hard part was over.

Between her wedding plans and work, Usagi had taken on a new challenge in her career, this time, to try and compete for a position as creative manager in the art department of the magazine where she worked as designer and illustrator. Now, swarmed in between samples of fabric, magazine cutouts, several color palettes, sketchbooks, and colors, the silver-blonde nibbled on her lower lip as she took another piece of glittery fabric and pinned it with a note and a piece of sky blue tulle and looked at her other combinations as she made a few annotations on a pad and let out a tired sigh; she had been working non-stop and she knew it had been a few hours since she got out of work because her stomach had started to remind her that it had been a while since she had her last snack but the more she looked at the things she graciously had arranged around her in a neatly chromatic circle the more she felt she was far from being over.

Like an answer to her prayers, the chime-like sound of keys turning the lock on the front door soon caught her attention and smiled widely as she put another fabric sample on the soft carpet she was sitting on, "Ohayo Gozaimasu Chiba Mamoru-senpai!"

At the lack of response, Usagi looked up and widened her eyes when she saw Mamoru standing behind the sofa with a confused look on his face and looked out the window and then back at his girlfriend who was still beaming him a toothy grin and blinked a little confused at his face, "What?"

Mamoru pointed the panoramic window behind her, Usagi blinked her eyes a little startled and turned to look outside, "Well look at that, the sun's gown down..." she turned to look at him with the same grin and shrugged her shoulders carelessly, "Oh well, senpai, ohayo!"

"Ohayo? Usa, it's eight in the evening..."

"So?"

"So, it's Konbanwa,"

"What's the big difference?" Usagi pouted her lips and looked up at her boyfriend, "It means the same,"

"Uh, the _sun_?" Mamoru furrowed his brows to enhance the sarcasm in his voice, Usagi tilted her head, "What about it?"

"There is no sun outside," Mamoru tried to point out the obvious with the confused tone in his voice then frowned, finally processing the blonde's whole greeting "Wait a minute... did you just call me senpai?"

"Ah, bah..." Usagi waved her hand effusively again as she looked down at her notes, "Potato, potata... it's still a greeting,"

Mamoru looked at his girlfriend first and then at all the things she had spread out around her in the most perfect chromatic circle he's ever seen. It had become a custom for him to see his living room become an art study on a regular basis, in fact, he really liked it, and it was probably because by how Usagi always organized everything with such attention to detail that every time she had to work on something it was like she created a new piece of art by just how pretty she arranged everything depending on the type of project she was working on to meet her necessities; a complete opposite to how she kept her things in a regular basis, but it was worth it, every little scrap of fabric, every little note, every sheet of paper, every thread, it was all worth it just to see that smile.

Moments like this always made him remember the moment she came to him with a nervous look on her face and told him that she wanted to follow his footsteps and study a career at a university and that she wanted it to be focused in arts. For her parents, this decision was a little out of their expectations mostly because it was harder to secure a future and make a good living out of it than if she chose to be an accountant, a lawyer, or a teacher, but to him, it was the most natural choice—the only one. Usagi had the personality, the wit, the creativity, and skill to pursue that dream and make a good career out of it. She was capable of achieving success and if it was in his hands to support her, that was the perfect time to do it.

Usagi didn't need to prove anything to Mamoru, he knew how smart and strong-willed she was whenever she had made up her mind about something; if she had decided that was what she wanted to do and that she wanted to face the real world with a different and much more refreshing perspective, then who was he to judge and stop her? Mamoru was proud of her, he was proud of her growth as a woman, a professional, and overall as a friend and a partner. When he spoke to her about it, the determination he saw in her eyes was all he needed to know how she was serious and how he needed to proceed to make it a reality for her, because if there was someone who knew the struggle and the constant desire of being someone by their own merits, it was him. After talking about the options available to her, they spent countless hours looking for the best schools with the best offers to branch out once she graduated, the one with the most classes applied to both skill and business that could help her in the real world and that would give her more options in the work field, it is how they came to the conclusion that Keio University was the best bet for her.

From that moment on, Tsukino Usagi began her transformation from a ditzy and sometimes lazy girl to a young woman that liked to set goals in her life and paid attention to her priorities without leaving her kind and sweet personality behind. Mamoru was more than happy to be there for her in any way that he could, he helped her with her application, he prepared her for her evaluation exams and interviews and after many talks he got her consent and did the necessary arrangements to pay for each semester with the promise that she would support him by getting the most of it, learn as much as she could, get as much experience as she could and give her all, but most importantly, that she was going to do it because she loved it.

It wasn't an easy journey, while it might look like a piece of cake, a career focused on illustration and media design was more demanding than she imagined, she had to study hard and keep up with the hectic rhythm of what was being a university student. During those years he was studying abroad, things would get overwhelming from time to time for both of them. Sure, they would often be on video calls, both while studying or working on a project late at night, or taking breaks between classes but being apart was difficult and sometimes a call wasn't really enough to appease the longing of being together but they made it work, and now, a year after her graduation, there she was now, a professional woman putting all her skills and knowledge to use at her new job at a popular fashion magazine. But what Mamoru loved and was most proud about was that the passion and fire in her eyes were still there, unyielding and as curious as ever.

After his little retrospective, Mamoru finally came to pay mind to the little flags alerting him of what was going on, bringing back the oddness of her greeting into consideration. Normally, he would have just brushed it off and take it as a silly joke from her and let her continue working in the living room while he went to do other things around the apartment but it was his girlfriend's over-excitement, the hurried tone in her voice, her lack of orientation, and how she couldn't stay focused on just one thing for more than a minute what made him think there was something else going on, something he should be paying attention to. Mamoru frowned and put his messenger bag where he carried his laptop and other papers on the floor and walked into the living room careful enough not to mess the secondary or tertiary colors with her analogous colors and crouched in front of his girlfriend who was still very distracted by the scraps she had in her hands and whatever decision she had to make on them, "Usa?" He asked softly, trying not to startle her but Usagi was too excited to notice; in response, she jerked her head like a bunny out of a magician's hat and looked at him and batted her dark lashes, "Hai, Mamoru-senpai!"

"Sen..." Mamoru frowned and let out a soft groan, finally taking notice that she oddly had been calling him that when never in her life has done before, "Usa, what's going on?"

"W-What? W-Why, why, why? Why there would be something going on? W-Why?" Usagi shrugged her shoulders and patted his cheek gently, "N-nothing's going on, nothing-g."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm..." Usagi nodded like a hurried bunny and continued pinning some scraps with notes, "I'm fine—fine, fine, fine." At this response, Mamoru furrowed his brow with worry and gently place his hand over her forehead and sighed softly when he made sure she didn't have a fever or anything remotely close, "What are you doing?"

"Working," Usagi beamed a smile at him, "I have this project... but..." she turned again and scratched the back of her head anxiously, "I can't find this pretty Oxford blue sample with little stars on it... and I want it! I want it! I want it!" She pounded her fisted hands on her lap with frustration; Mamoru looked down and grabbed a square of fabric and showed it to her, "This one?"

Usagi widened her eyes and looked at it like if she had found the grandest of treasures and nodded with excitement, "Oh my god, yes! How did you find it?!"

"It was... right... there..." Mamoru frowned, "Buns, are you—" he trailed off when his eyes landed on what he quickly guessed was the culprit of her odd behavior and gave her a cautious glance, "Usako?"

"Yes, senpai?"

Mamoru pinched her nose gently, "Ka-re-shi," Usagi giggled and blushed, "Well, aren't you older than me?"

"I am, yes, but I am not your senpai—I'm your boyfriend,"

The playful gesture made Usagi giggle, this time with a much more sensual undertone, "Still, you are older than me and you are kind of my mentor too... you know... in many things..."

"You are unbelievable," Mamoru felt his cheeks flush a little, a gesture Usagi caught up right away and used to her advantage, "Ah, but I am telling the truth and you know it!" The blonde bit her lower lip and waggled her brows proudly proving her point, "Ha!"

"Ha, ha..." Mamoru bickered with sarcasm and narrowed his ocean blue eyes, "Usa, what's in the mug?"

"Eh?"

"What's in the mug?"

"What mug?"

" _That_ mug,"

" _This_ mug?" Usagi pointed her white and silver mug, " _My_ mug?"

"Yes, darling, your mug—mine isn't white and silver," Mamoru leaned closer to look what was inside and widened his eyes, "Are you drinking... black coffee?" He frowned and looked at Usagi perplexed, "Seriously?"

"Huh?" Usagi shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly, "What's wrong with me drinking coffee?" Mamoru tilted his head genuinely confused, "It's almost nine in the evening... you don't like drinking coffee at this hour, you don't drink black coffee— _ever._ "

"Oh, well..." Usagi blinked, "I guess there is no harm in me trying it out now, right?"

"No... I guess not," Mamoru blinked then remembered something important, something that could totally give sense to what was going on, "Usa..."

"Yes?"

"What coffee are you drinking?"

"What do you mean what coffee? The same as always, the bitter one you _always_ drink, why?"

Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes, already knowing where this was going but still, he wanted to remain hopeful, "Baby, please tell you made a fresh batch..."

"Why would I make more where there was plenty already made? I didn't see the point in wasting one perfectly good batch and knowing you, this was from this morning," Usagi glanced him curiously and shrugged her shoulders, "I reheated what was left and added a couple of scoops to the filter to give it an extra kick. I was so tired and I really wanted to work on this so I thought this would give me a little boost, why is such a big deal?"

Mamoru hung his head low and covered his face with one hand, "Oh, no..."

"Why?" Usagi tilted her head, "What's wrong?"

Mamoru sighed again and looked at her, "Baby... never in a million years I would have thought that you were going to drink _that_. That is not the coffee I always buy... Motoki gave me a bag of a *robusta brand he recently discovered and wanted me to try... that is a _very_ strong coffee and by adding more to the filter you just created a caffeine bomb,"

"Chillax, an espresso is far more bombastic than this one,"

"No Usa, no... it's nothing like having an espresso, this one's stronger."

"I _am_ fine!" Usagi shook her head and leaned her back on the sofa and showed him her hand as she tried her best effort to keep it steady, "See? _I'm_ _fine_ ,"

"Usa," Mamoru frowned, "You're shaking, clearly you're _not_ fine."

"Don't worry!" Usagi took a couple of short breaths, "I'll be fine... it'll pass!"

"How many cups did you have?"

"Two? I don't know, whatever was left," Usagi took another deep breath, "I was tired..."

"Didn't you notice how strong it was?"

"All of your coffee tastes the same to me—bitter _and_ bad,"

Mamoru sweatdropped, "And yet you drank all of it..."

"I needed something to keep me awake!"

"Okay, the problem isn't that you had it to keep you awake—that's fine. The problem is that you added _more_ to what was already made and put it to brew all over again," Mamoru rubbed his face with mortification, "Oi, Usa... Usa..."

"Stop freaking out!" Usagi let out a choked laugh and waved her shaky hands without any coordination, "I'm telling you, _I'm fine,_ " she turned to grab the mug and tried to take a sip to prove her point. Mamoru pressed his lips in a tight line to keep his frustration under control and leaned closer, "No, you're not fine. You're having a caffeine overdose—give me that," he took the half-empty mug from his fiancé's hands and placed it over the coffee table and picked Usagi off the floor to sit on the sofa before going into the kitchen to get a large glass of water; this is when the blonde started to understand what Mamoru was trying to tell her and why he was that worried. She could start to feel the lack of control over her body and how much she was shaking, not to mention how fast she felt her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt light-headed and disoriented like if she had been in a crazy tea-cup ride at the amusement park for hours and everything around her was spinning fast, making her feel feeling dizzy and weak.

Usagi turned with a lost stare and saw Mamoru walking back and taking a seat next to her on the sofa and carefully handed her the glass, which she felt it was best if she held it with both hands to keep the liquid from spilling and gave her boyfriend a strange glance when she saw him peeling a banana, "You hungry, Mamo-chan?"

"No. The water is to flush as much caffeine from your system as possible and the banana is to boost you with some potassium so you stop feeling lightheaded and confused," Mamoru fed her a small piece of the sweet fruit, "You could be dehydrated, Buns,"

"I just needed a boost, my brain wasn't cooperating and I didn't think this was going to become a death or alive experience,"

"So, drinking coffee with crazy amounts of sugar was the way to give you some sort of creative motivation?" He shook his head in disapproval, "And to make your little adventure more hardcore, you had to drink it black..."

"You drink black coffee _all_ _the time!_ "

"Yes, but because I'm used to it, I've done it for years. You haven't, and your body isn't used to the sharp effects of these levels of caffeine," Mamoru fed her another piece of banana, "Have another sip of water,"

"How was I supposed to know?" Usagi narrowed her eyes and did as told, "It's your fault for drinking it and leaving it unattended... you should have left me a post-it like you always do..."

"My bad..." Mamoru cracked a much more relaxed chuckle when he saw her breathing was slowly going back to normal and so was her wittiness, "I was running late for work, I only got to drink one cup. I would never have imagined you would come home and drink all that was left, like I said, you barely ever drink coffee and whenever you do, it's not at this hour,"

"I do drink coffee," Usagi pouted her lips, "I'm no addict like you but I do..."

"Whatever overly sweet concoctions you drink cannot be considered coffee, my dear, I'm sorry." Mamoru shook his head and looked down at the floor, "So, working on a new project, you say?"

Usagi took another gracious swig of her water and smiled, "Yes, kind of. We had our monthly meeting this morning to see what to expect in the coming months with the issues for the magazine and there is this summer ad campaign with several big fashion designers and my boss wants to get the exclusive because it would bring much more revenues and it would lead to own full exclusivity for the fall campaign too. I recently learned there is an opening for a position as creative manager and I figured that if I worked on something on my own it would give me some advantage to prove Maya that I have what it takes to earn the position,"

"Sounds great," Mamoru smiled and pinched her cheek gently, "And? How's it going?"

"A little slow... but I feel like I am getting somewhere," Usagi rubbed her neck and smiled when she felt Mamoru pull her close into his arms and kissed her bare shoulder peeking from the large pink sweatshirt she was wearing, "I was getting a little frustrated because I felt like I wasn't doing anything new, so, I thought I could seek for inspiration in my experience as senshi and princess to come up with something different and unique... I named my secret project _'cosmic romance',_ " she glanced at Mamoru over her shoulder and smiled, "What do you think? Too corny?"

"Nah, it's perfect," Mamoru put his arms around her waist and propped his chin on her shoulder "It sounds perfect," he brushed his lips on her soft skin and closed his eyes, savoring the joy of having her in his arms, "How are you feeling?" he asked softly; Usagi blushed, feeling tingling chills down her spine with his warm breath caressing her skin and doing wonders to her mind, "Better. Less confused, that's for sure."

"Good, good... drink all the water," Mamoru kept caressing her neck with his lips for another minute before he slightly pulled back, "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm okay,"

"Really?" Mamoru blinked surprised, "You sure?" Usagi chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure. I had dinner with Mama at home before coming here,"

"Oh, okay. Well, is there anything else you want or need?"

Usagi turned around to look at him and put her hands on each side of his face, "You. You are all I'll ever want and need."

"You have me," Mamoru leaned closer and brushed his lips against hers in a sensual way and closed his eyes, "I'm right here,"

Usagi felt her cheeks flush and turn hot as she responded to her boyfriend's words by closing the small gap between them and locked her lips with his in a sweet and gentle kiss that went uninterrupted for several minutes. There was something in the way they kissed, it always started with a romantic flair but it would often gradually become a much more sensual experience. Usagi loved the way his warm lips caressed hers, almost asking for her permission to take it to a more intimate level. Mamoru, on the other hand, enjoyed the sweetness which she would always welcome him and how the slow pacing of their lips nibbling on each other between soft gasps for breath and _I love you's_ in the sound of a whisper would build to a much deeper connection. They were addicted to each other in every form, physically, mentally and emotionally and they manifested all of this whenever they kissed. To them, it was always a different experience, Usagi would often describe it as magical and Mamoru would say heart-warming and unique—always different but equally beautiful and breathtaking.

They loved to be tangled in the scent settled in their skin, the warmth of their bodies, and their soft and playful caresses that came along with it before they were slowly taken by the emotion of their souls bonded together succumbing to their deepest need to be together and the result of how much they missed each other throughout the day. A kiss it was all they needed to let go of whatever stress or weight they carried over their shoulders; a kiss is all they needed to feel in sync with the good in the world. in Mamoru's case, no matter how patient he was and no matter how much he liked to take care of people he couldn't step away from the fact that he had one demanding job that required nerves of steel and an unbreakable character and mind at all times to be able to deal with what was like to make life-changing decisions for others. Saving a life was no easy trade and it was never something to take lightly even with his masked hero and prince cards under his sleeve. He better than anyone understood what it was like to be on call at all times and put his own life and credibility on the line for the sake of others but he couldn't deny that from time to time it would take the best of him and maxed out his frame of mind, like today. But as of now, what had been pinning his mood and energy down was being swept away like dust in the wind by the enchanting woman in his arms casting the most beautiful spell over him, making him feel completely blissful and in peace.

Usagi had a power over Mamoru that not even him could put into words. Whatever had to do with her, he would never say no to anything, and whenever she needed him he would always be there.

She is _that_ special.

At this point, and without interrupting the harmonious dance of their lips, Mamoru was completely drawn by her sweet flowery perfume and by how she slowly leaned onto him until she was sitting on his lap; taking full control of the situation and of him. The way she played with his hair and combed her fingers through it in a constant rhythm while nibbling his lower lip with hers in the most addicting way ever surrendered him completely to her. He loved this side of her, the one no one imagined she had but she only showed to him—it was all for him, and he loved it without measure. Every time Usagi held him in her arms and kissed him this way he was instantly reminded of how much he looked for her and how much he wanted what he had with her; the sense of belonging and the freedom to be himself without the stigma of his upbringing or his name. Usagi was the embodiment of hope and redemption, the only one that would remind him who he was in a room full of strangers and that could make him feel real in a world he sometimes felt alien despite being the one who represented it. It has always been her, the one that kept him grounded and focused, in this or any other lifetime, Usagi is the one that made him become everything he is now—a night thief, a masked hero, a prince—a man deeply in love.

They parted soon after, leaving them both slowly gasping for air and completely immersed in the aftermath of their kiss. Usagi glanced down as she trailed the tips of her fingers down his jaw, then his neck and started to loosen the knot on his steel-blue tie and undid the first two buttons of his crisp thin-striped dress-shirt "Long day? You came home later than usual..."

"You have no idea," Mamoru mumbled tiredly and leaned his head back until it comfortably lay on the sofa's backrest, "I couldn't leave earlier because I had a patient in intensive care and other following consultations." Usagi could sense the exhaustion by the heaviness in his low voice and the way he dragged each word. She blinked when she felt his hand sliding under her sweatshirt and caressing her lower back in a random pattern and before she could ask, he delivered the answer, "It's all clear now, the patient is out of danger,"

"That's good news," Usagi leaned closer and started combing his hair back, like she knew he liked, "You truly are the best doctor in the world." Mamoru smiled weakly and opened his eyes, "I am just doing my job,"

"Well yes but... not everyone is as good as you," Usagi flicked a piece of hair away from his face, Mamoru chuckled, "Don't tell Motoki that," Usagi beamed him a precious smile and raised her hand, "I promise,"

Mamoru fixed his tired, but undeniable beautiful gaze on Usagi's silky hair and combed his fingers through it in one slow relaxing motion, thinking how much he liked to see her with her hair down, "Are you staying the night?" Usagi winked an eye at him "The whole weekend if you let me,"

"Well, with that being said..." Mamoru pulled her closer, "How about forever?"

"That sounds even better," Usagi nodded with a grin, "We're so close..."

"This is the final stretch baby," Mamoru gave her a small peck on her lips, "One more month..."

Usagi smiled and put her arms around his neck, "In the meantime... we still need to come up with a final repertoire of lazy excuses to justify why I am not staying at home more often. Thank goodness for Minako-chan and her witty mind," Mamoru chuckled, "Bless her, but what was it this time?"

"What else? Another party with Shingo's loud friends," Usagi giggled, "But I think the reason behind it is because he's trying to win a girl's affection..."

"Really?" Mamoru blinked surprised, "Shingo likes someone?"

"Yeah," Usagi nodded with a knowing grin, "Seems like it..."

"Huh," Mamoru bit his lip with wonder and arched his brow, "Is that why he asked me if he could borrow the car to go to—" he air quoted, " _A_ ' _store'_ in Roppongi the other day?" Usagi widened her eyes, "Omg, he did?"

"Yep," Mamoru looked at his girlfriend's surprised face, she had a born talent to knit stories together and make any gossip enjoyable, "And did you?" Mamoru laughed and shook his head, "I almost did, but your father intervened and asked me not to and, well, I am not going to act against his will."

"Because you are afraid of Papa?" Usagi frowned and widened her blue eyes when Mamoru tapped her forehead softly, "No, because I respect him—that's different." Mamoru combed her long fringe aside, "He's your father and I respect his authority."

"And trust me, Papa appreciates it, he likes to have a wingman for these sorts of things but I am sure he's aware you're also my brother's. I think he is aware of Shingo's interest on that girl and he is a little concerned, you know..." Usagi waggled her brows, Mamoru chuckled, "Get caught in the heat of the moment?"

"And come with a little surprise," Usagi chuckled, "Papa always freaks out about that stuff... it's almost as if it came from a personal experience," she gasped, "What if _I_ am that experience?"

"Goodness!" Mamoru laughed, "You're taking this way out of proportion, Buns," Usagi nodded, "Yeah, I know... it may not look like it, but I love my brother and I know he's a good guy."

"He is, parties aside... he's a cool guy,"

"I'm sure Shingo also asked because he's dying to drive your car—he's obsessed with fancy sports cars,"

"But, what makes you so sure he's trying to win a girl's heart?" Mamoru asked with interest, Usagi raised a finger up to make a point, "Well, for starters... he's using all kinds of silly excuses to throw a party. I think I know who she is because I've seen her often lately and he's always acting so nervous when he's around her, and also because the other day he asked me how is that we started dating and what you did to win me over."

"Oh? And what did you tell him?" Mamoru looked at her curious of and expectant of one of her usual sweet responses; Usagi pursed her lips "That I didn't know..."

"Uh... okay?" Mamoru let out a disappointed puff of air, "Really, you don't know?"

"Well, it wasn't the typical way a guy wins a girl's heart." Usagi pouted her lips and leaned back a little and started counting with her fingers, "You are kind of distant, bold, and strange... not to mention, way too analytical and a smartass; sarcastic, a little prideful, stubborn, and sometimes a little mean—you literally have no filter when speaking your mind and you can be very intimidating,"

"Wow... throw me a bone here," Mamoru mumbled dryly, making Usagi laugh, "What?"

"Good to know that's what you think of me,"

"Well, you're a freaking Leo. Aren't Leos supposed to be like this?"

"Is that supposed to help? I'm a little confused..."

"I mean it in a cute way," Usagi rubbed her teeth over her lower lip and chuckled, "A _very_ cute way... for example, the chocolate cake? That was a _bold_ move, but it was a nice gesture and it sure made an impression,"

"What chocolate cake?"

"You don't remember?!" Usagi gasped, "I'm flabbergasted."

"Buns," Mamoru frowned, "I've given you too many of chocolate cakes over the course of ten years we've been dating to think of just one."

"The first one," Usagi wrapped his tie around her hand and gave him a shy smile as she pulls it off his neck slowly, "When you paid my tab at the Crown Parlor and asked Unazuki to put a note inside a small box with a slice of chocolate cake that said it was a pleasure meeting me." Mamoru smiled, clearly remembering what she was talking about, "Ah see? Was that me being mean and..." He squinted his eyes in wonder, "What else did you call me? Prideful, distant, and strange?"

"You have to admit you were a little mean sometimes," Usagi tilted her head and undid another button of his shirt, "You often called me Miss Bunhead,"

"I still do it now,"

"No, you call me Buns—that's different,"

"It's the same thing!" Mamoru chuckled, "How is that mean?" He pinched her nose "And in my defense... you threw trash at me all the time, not to mention those infamous awful failed tests of yours,"

"Okay, see? _This_ is what I meant with you being mean," Usagi ruffled his hair leaving it all messy, "But _anyway_ —that is not what I was trying to tell Shingo." her fingers continued working on the buttons until she undid the last button and traced the v neck of the light white shirt he was wearing underneath with her fingers, barely ever touching his skin, "It was how despite we're so different you always did these little things that made me feel special. I don't know how to put it into words... it just sort of happened. After that little note, it was easier for us to talk and it's when we started hanging out before we found out about everything, we fell in love before knowing we have been in love before." Usagi smiled shyly, "Remember when we took the train and went to spend a day at Tokyo Bay?"

"Yeah..." Mamoru smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "That was a good day,"

"You told me that you liked me so out of the blue..." Usagi blushed, "But that's when I knew that what I felt every time I saw you weren't just a simple crush... it was something else, something stronger." She smiled and tilted her head showing genuine curiosity, "Did it ever happen to you too?"

"It did, yes," Mamoru nodded and pulled Usagi's sweatshirt down, enough to expose her shoulder again and gave her a sided smile, "From the very first moment we met outside of Osa-P, since then on, you never left my mind."

"Really?"

"Really,"

"So... the random meetings at the park,"

"I noticed you went there frequently, so, I kind of figured you'll be around if I showed up from time to time,"

"And the occasional coincidences outside the arcade?"

"That too,"

"So... the cake and the note,"

"That day was pure fate," Mamoru smiled, "I had moved in here recently and after one of those coincidences outside of the arcade, I met Motoki and he recommended I should go to the Crown Parlor and try the coffee served there. I hesitated for a while but decided to give it a go without knowing you would be there... but I was glad you were." His fingers traced the line of her pouty lips, "I knew something inexplicable happened between us every time we met but there was this weird invisible wall—"

"Oh my god... you felt it too?!" Usagi drew back wide-eyed, "So it wasn't just me then!"

"No, it wasn't just you. I felt it too and I realized it was something I was doing unconsciously," Mamoru smiled with nostalgia, "I was new in the district, I had no friends, I knew no one. I was in a weird emotional place in my life where I didn't know any better but I later understood it was not because you didn't try to be nice, it was me, I wasn't letting anyone come close and I realized it wasn't doing any good to whatever that could happen between us; friendship or not, I didn't want to sit and wonder what could have happened if I did things differently, instead, I took a leap of faith and made the first move to let you know I wasn't trying to be mean, it's just that I didn't know how to be around you but I knew for sure that it's where I wanted to be."

The revelation moved Usagi to the core with emotion, as for how things happened Usagi was sure it was something they both wanted, after all, they reincarnated to find each other again but no matter how much she tried to pin that truth to how they came to be a couple in this current time, she was more than certain that it happened in the most organic way without any divinity meddling in their business. They met without knowing nothing about themselves, way before they even found themselves as their alter ego; they gave themselves the time to get to know each other, they felt the spark and flirted whenever they coincided somewhere, they felt the jitters and the excitement of going on a first date, the emotion of a first kiss. They went through the stages of a crush to a solid friendship that soon gave way to a torrid romance that only grew stronger with every passing year. They got to meet as normal teens before they found each other again as soldiers of justice and then as two people that dealt with the ravages of a forbidden union and settled the foundation of a new, much stronger relationship with love, trust, and complicity; they embraced their differences instead of trying to change one another—it's who they were and that is why they fell for each other in the first place.

"This is what I didn't know how to explain to my brother," Usagi looked up at Mamoru with tear-glossed eyes, "All these wonderful things you make me feel... with us... it's not just about being nice and attentive, it's something else—you're something else, Chiba Mamoru."

It was time for Mamoru to feel the emotion of her words and pulled her sweatshirt to bring her closer and lock his lips in a much more intense, much more passionate kiss. Usagi quickly responded to her boyfriend's much more raw approach to seduce her without complaint as she took his shirt off and threw it away, not giving a single damn where it landed. She ran her soft hands under his t-shirt and caressed the line of his abs with a feathery touch and moaned softly when she felt the warmth of his skin and his hands doing the same on her lower back and closed her eyes as she tilts her head to the side to let him kiss her neck, a simple gesture that always made her feel all kinds of chills all over her body. She put her hands over his chest and enjoyed every second of his soft lips nibbling on her skin, truly wishing time would stop for a little while. They stayed in their own little world of pure bliss for a few more minutes before Mamoru smacked a kiss on her neck and pulled back, looking completely dazed by Usagi; who, slowly allowed herself to return from cloud nine.

"Feeling better?" Mamoru asked, his voice a little husky from all the kissing session and gasps for air; Usagi nodded slowly, still under the influence of Mamoru's charm, "Y-Yeah..." Mamoru smiled and tapped her nose lightly, "You still have work to do?"

"Uh..." Usagi pursed her lips and turned to look over her shoulder at all the things carefully arranged on the carpet, "Some,"

"Alright," Mamoru wrapped his arms around her and rolled to the side to lay her on the sofa and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek, "I'll go take a shower then,"

"Why?" Usagi pulled his t-shirt to stop him from moving away and sniffed, "You don't smell bad..." she frowned, "Actually... you never do... what the hell?"

"Thanks for the lovely compliment," Mamoru chuckled and cupped her cheek, "But … it's been a long day..." Usagi combed his hair back and let out a dreamy sigh, "Time for sweats?"

"Time for sweats,"

"Are you going to bed afterward?"

"I need to do some laundry, I'll read while I wait for the machine to be done... try to clear my mind,"

Usagi bit her lower lip, "Uh... yeah... about that,"

"What, clearing my mind?"

"No, laundry..."

"What about it?" Mamoru looked at her a little confused, Usagi pressed her lips in a tight line "I took the liberty to wash a few things and after I was done I put your white coat and a shirt to wash—"

"Oh..."

"I'm sorry!" Usagi waved her hands in embarrassment "I'm so _so_ sorry! I will buy you new ones—I promise!" Mamoru tried to contain his laughter, "What happened...?"

"I forgot a camisole..."

"What color?"

"Pink..."

Mamoru pursed his lips and nodded, "Okay... so, now I have a pink shirt and coat?"

"If it makes you feel better, they look cute... and... by the way, you are out of laundry detergent,"

"Ah... convenient,"

"And fabric softener..."

"Okay... noted."

"And you need more bleach..."

"Buns, what did you do?" Mamoru chuckled with awe, "I barely use bleach!"

"I tried to fix my mistake but I can buy more..."

"It's okay Buns, no need,"

"But maybe if we use more bleach they can be fixed!"

"Alright, if you think it will work I'll go to the store and buy more bleach," Mamoru chuckled, "Oh Bunny, you are one of a kind," Usagi bit her lip nervously, "I am really sorry..." Mamoru smiled and cupped her cheek, "It's okay Usa, I have an extra coat I can use and the shirt...well, it's a shirt." His thumb caressed her lips, the corner of his mouth quirked up with mischief, "Thank you,"

"Are you thanking me for ruing your clothes?" Usagi blinked genuinely confused, Mamoru shrugged his shoulder, "So it's a pink shirt now, big deal. I don't mind wearing a pink shirt,"

"Well, it's not exactly pink but it isn't white either..." Usagi scratched her nose and squinted her eyes, "Let's say it's something in between, but, I could use it to sleep on it or something if the bleach doesn't work."

"As you wish,"

"The coat too?"

"Sure," Mamoru smiled softly and kissed her temple before getting up, "Alright, I'll go take a shower now..."

Usagi nodded and watched him going to pick his tie and shirt that landed over a lamp before going down the small hallway toward his bedroom as he pinched his shirt from the back of his neck and yanked it off over his head in one swift and automatic motion as he walked into the bedroom and turned the lights on. Whenever she saw him performing that simple and basic move it always sent her mind into a small frenzy of desire, a little visual treat just for her and sighed softly when she heard him close the bathroom door in the bedroom, as if the soft clicking sound had brought her back to reality and the crazy amount of work she had waiting for her on the carpet.

Swarmed in piles and layers of textures and colors, Usagi continued working feeling much less stressed and anxious, realizing it was indeed the crazy amounts of caffeine in her system that was not letting her concentrate and find things but she felt she was finally getting close to something good and unique. Taking a quick pause, the silver-blonde let out a deep breath and turned to look over her shoulder at the clock sitting on one of the bookshelves in the living room and stretched. She had been so into her work and felt so active and awake that she didn't notice Mamoru wasn't there with her anymore.

After taking his much-needed shower, Mamoru had gone back wearing his trusty grey sweats and hoodie accompanied by the fresh scent of his lotion and went around the apartment doing some basic chores while making a few follow up calls to the hospital to check on the patient he still had in intensive care before he finally lay down on the sofa and read a book to keep her company for a while before he would take another round of calls. Usagi enjoyed having these little moments of peace when they could be doing their own thing without any complaints. It was a thing they learned how to master; Mamoru knew Usagi's hobbies went beyond of just watching t.v and eating. Whenever she wasn't reading her fashion and art magazines, she was always sketching with her earphones on while doing creative and inspiration boards on her favorite design apps on her tablet. Usagi, on the other hand, knew how much Mamoru liked to read and how much he appreciated his moments of leisure at home—short naps included. It didn't matter if they liked to do things on their own, they respected their individuality, but, even with that deep respect between them, she knew that whenever they wanted attention they would be there for each other one-hundred percent. They respected their space and careers without feeling left out or ignored, but as of now, she got so immersed in her work that she didn't notice when he got up and left. She let out another long breath and pursed her lips, thinking it was more than fair to take a break and go check on her boyfriend.

As she walked down the hall, Usagi was surprised to see the light on his bedside was still turned on and stopped by the door when she realized Mamoru was completely passed out with one arm over his eyes and the other fully extended and almost touching the hardwood floor while still holding his blinking phone, clearly showing his level of exhaustion by falling asleep while still texting the on-call staff at the hospital. Usagi watched her boyfriend laying on the very edge of the bed in a facing up position with one leg hanging out and the other slightly bent, making her guess this was not something he had planned and that he was initially sitting on the bed while still talking over the phone but the conversation probably must have gone for too long that he felt the need to lay down for a while but considering the amount of stress he must have dealt during the day, and the calming shower he took afterwards it finally took their toll on him and knocked him out. Usagi couldn't help feeling bad for the poor man lying in the most uncomfortable positions trying to keep his balance on the very edge of the bed and went to help him with as much care as possible so she wouldn't wake him, knowing for a fact the lightness of his sleep was something to handle with much caution.

As she moved closer, she couldn't help to comb his hair back and leaned down to give him the lightest of kisses while taking his phone—poor thing, she thought. He's always working so hard.

She put the sleek black device over his nightstand before she slowly proceeded to move his arm away from his face and tried to lift his hanging leg and roll him to the other side but that simple action was a quick reminder of how freakishly heavy Mamoru was despite being so lean and toned. After a couple of attempts, she finally managed to put him in a much comfortable position; Usagi turned his side lamp off and walked out of the room; as she closed the door behind her, Usagi let out a soft sigh and walked back to the living room with a much-resigned mentality and still pumped up with energy so she decided it was best to take advantage of it and work until she felt at least a little sleepy.

An hour and a half later, Usagi put everything away in boxes and binders and closed her laptop. With much of her project sketched and planned there was not much else she could do so the idea for going to bed was the most natural option. With puffy cheeks, the blonde pouted her lips feeling a little helpless for not being even close to tired and thought it was time for her to go to bed and try to sleep, and by trying, she meant forcing herself to sleep because if not, the sun would catch up with her at dawn and she knew Mamoru was awfully active in the mornings. Usagi let out a long sigh and started clearing the living room until she left it the same way she had found it—clean and organized. With the liberty of feeling more at home than at her boyfriend's apartment, Usagi walked to the kitchen and opened one of the fancy cabinets to grab a glass and chug some more water and regretted it immediately because she knew this would only make her insomniac experience even worse by all the times she would have to go to the bathroom. Annoyed at her current situation, Usagi had no other option left but to shut down the lights in the kitchen and living room and make her way to the bedroom to get ready for bed. With all the care in the world, the blonde opened the door and peeked in first to check on Mamoru and walked inside when she saw he was in the same position she had left him and applied her ninja skills to go to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face; once back she carefully pulled the sheets and hopped on what she now her side of the bed, next to Mamoru. Determinant to conquer her battles against insomnia, Usagi let out a long breath and lay upside up and closed her eyes to no avail. Silence had never been so annoying—the blonde thought and wondered if she always had this super sense of hearing because every little sound was enhanced a thousand percent in her head. This was the worst timing for her brain to go over and over the things that happened during the day when being awake was useful and necessary. Everything mattered, everything was important, every word, every decision she made at work, her lunch, her outfit for the day, how she needed to fix the heel of her nude stilettos before she had to attend another cocktail party for the magazine, how the cap of her favorite scarlet red liquid lipstick was slightly cracked from the time she dropped her purse by accident and how many hairpins she had in her beauty basket in the bathroom, wondered if they were enough to style her hair in two or just one bun. Usagi rubbed her eyes with frustration; since when she felt so bothered by the faint ticking sound of the watch she gave Mamoru for his birthday? Since when she found it annoying the blinking light of his phone? —Her phone. Her mind started alerting her that she hadn't taken her phone and for some random reason, right now, it was important for her to find it. A few minutes after of self-debate, she frowned and went to get it in the living room and walked back into the bedroom without minding the noise she might be making any more. At this point, she was past being conscious about her boyfriend's sleep. She lay down on the bed again after putting her device on her nightstand Usagi tried to repeat the process and closed her eyes, this time, determinant for victory, but again all was to no avail. She rolled on to her side and tried again, nothing happened. Turned again to face the large window and pursed her lips—this was a damn nightmare and the worst thing was that she wasn't even asleep.

Not sure of how much time had passed, Usagi turned on her side—again—then upside down but no sleep could come and claim her. With a heavy sigh, she turned to lay on her back again and put every trick she could think of to the test but that was the problem, her brain didn't want to cooperate and it was beginning to take all remains of her sanity; it was a bitter irony how she, a master when it came to sleep was this helpless. With another sigh, this time harsher and loaded with frustration, Usagi turned to check the time on her phone and groaned when she came to the conclusion that time had joined the prank by moving slower than usual, stretching her martyrdom.

A soft cough from Mamoru made her turn and pursed her lips in the same angry fashion when she saw him sleeping so peacefully and something inside her stirred her patience to the extent of wanting to wake him up so she wouldn't be the only one dealing with a lack of sleep. She knew how awful of a person that would make her, considering how tired he was and how much he valued his time in bed, but she was too upset and too envious to care that her boyfriend was having some well-deserved sleep while she was dealing with the worst insomnia she's ever dealt with in her entire life.

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi tried her luck and frowned when she didn't get a usual immediate answer on his part. It didn't matter the time or how long he had been asleep, Mamoru's sleep was so light that if he was asked something—anything, he would answer right away, "Mamo-chan,"

"Mm?" The deep tone of his voice finally manifested but nothing much happened afterward, making her believe he had only answered out of reflex, adding more layers of irony to the situation, "Mamo-chan..." Usagi tried again, this time a little louder. Mamoru took a deep breath and cleared his throat, finally coming to his senses, "Usa?" His words came out hoarse and loaded with tiredness, "You okay?"

"No,"

"What's wrong?"

Usagi turned on her side, "I can't sleep,"

"Hm..."

"Mamo-chan,"

"Mmm..."

"I can't sleep,"

Mamoru cleared his throat again while he rubbed his eyes and tried to find his girlfriend's silhouette in the dark, "What?"

"I can't sleep,"

"...What... time is it?"

"2:00 a.m."

"Mmm..."

"What do I do?"

"Mamo-chan,"

"Uh?"

"What do I do?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and rolled to lay on his side and sunk his head on his fluffy pillow, "Just... try to clear your mind... relax,"

The simple answer given was not something Usagi could accept as a valid answer—less from him. She turned angrily at the bulk under the covers she knew was her boyfriend and shook his shoulder vigorously, "Seriously?" she said in an angry tone but when there was no answer coming from him she yanked his pillow away. A very disoriented Mamoru opened his eyes and tried to adjust them to the darkness in the room; the man too tired and sleepy to even react or feel annoyed by his girlfriend's abrupt reaction, "It's the caffeine, Usako, it hasn't left your body..." he said with grogginess; Usagi frowned with annoyance, "And?"

"The coffee was too strong and you're not used to drinking it at night... you are still affected by it."

"And what can I do?" Usagi shook his shoulder, "Am I supposed to stay trapped in this freaking limbo?" Mamoru yawned lowly, igniting Usagi's frustration even more, "Uh, yeah, that's nice... rub the fact that you can sleep in my face,"

"Oh dear..."

"What?"

"Cranky much?"

"I want to sleep..."

"Try drinking more water..."

"I did... but it doesn't work," Usagi groaned with increased annoyance, "Give me something to sleep... whatever... cough drops... flu syrup... a shot, _anything..._ I'll take it."

"Usa, I won't give you meds just so you can sleep. With the caffeine still running through your system, it will only make things worse,"

"I am about to have an existential crisis... _literally,_ "

"Go take a hot bath,"

"It's 2 a.m... I want to sleep not lay in a tub,"

"Try reading something, then..."

"No, nooo... I don't want to read!"

Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, "Drink warm milk..."

"Ugh, now?"

"Goodness..."

"What?"

"This is worse than you being drunk,"

"Excuse me?" Usagi jerked her head to his side, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You need to try and cooperate Usa, otherwise you won't feel better,"

"I just want to sleep! This is torture!"

Mamoru propped his weight on his arm and put his hand on her forehead and pressed his thumb lightly in between her brows, Usagi frowned, "What are you doing?" Mamoru hushed slowly and continued rubbing his thumb in circular motions, "Relax..."

"I _am_ relaxed but my mind doesn't stop thinking—it won't shut down,"

"Because you are being stubborn—close your eyes, take deep breaths." Mamoru moved his thumb to her right temple and started to repeat the same process. Usagi closed her eyes and did as suggested, she was really enjoying the little massage but her mind was still pounding her with random events that happened during the day and pointless ideas, "Where did you learn this little trick from?"

"Therapy," Mamoru simply answered, "I learned it as a kid,"

"It's nice..." Usagi blew out her cheeks with exasperation, "But as good as this feels... it's not working," Mamoru let out a heavy sigh and moved back without saying anything else, a gesture Usagi picked right away and felt guilty for taking it out on him for no reason. It wasn't his fault she drank all those cups of coffee in the first place; she was being unfair and even went to the extent to wake him just so he could feel as miserable as her. Usagi tugged her boyfriend's hoodie and pouted her lips, "I'm sorry Mamo-chan... I'm being incredibly rude and unreasonable... I'm so sorry," she turned to her side and sighed, "Go back to sleep,"

"No, it's fine," Mamoru shook his head as rubbed his eyes, "We'll deal with this insomnia together, let's look for something to watch on tv—there must be tons of infomercials to catch on right now." He turned still a little disoriented to look for the remote and turn the t.v. in the bedroom on when he felt his girlfriend's hand on his arm to stop him. Usagi's lips pouted in the shape of a sweet smile of tenderness and leaned to comb his hair away from his face, "As a doctor, there is really anything you could give me that would help me sleep?"

"No, baby, as a doctor I already gave you all the options available... but..." Mamoru took her wrist and leaned closer until his nose touched hers, "As your boyfriend... there might be something that could help." Usagi's crystal blue eyes blazed with excitement and bit her lower lip, "Is there?"

"Yes,"

"But... what if it doesn't work?"

"We can keep trying until it does,"

"For the sake of science..." Usagi grinned, Mamoru took a deep breath and kissed her neck, "Yeah... that too..." Usagi put her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, "I'm so sorry for disrupting your sleep..."

"Don't be, you are the best reason to keep me awake." Mamoru pulled his hoodie and shirt from behind and threw them aside and helped Usagi, who was already too into her little desire frenzy and let herself get lost by the warmth of his hands caressing every inch of her body; and just like that, being under the influence of caffeine suddenly became more of a joyous blessing than a curse. From this point onward, Tsukino Usagi's thoughts on coffee had changed—for the best.

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Mamoru was closing the lid of his coffee machine to put a fresh new batch to brew when he felt a pair of arms wrapping around his waist and turned to find Usagi beaming a smile at him, "Hi," Mamoru smiled and squeezed her top bun, a new staple to her hairstyles repertoire and one that paid good homage to her already famous odango style whenever she wanted to change it a bit. Usagi stood on her tiptoes and pulled Mamoru's grey sweater to bring him closer and kissed his lips with fervor and drew back enough to look into his deep blue eyes, "Good morning, my love," she whispered and gave him a quick peck on his lips again before pulling back and turned to look at the coffee machine, "Are you making coffee?"

"Yes," Mamoru pinched her chin softly and turned to look for his black mug, "Although, I don't think you should hop on the caffeine train again, at least not for a while,"

Usagi giggled and leaned her back on the counter as she followed his every move with curious eyes, "Not even for the sake of science?" Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him turning to look at her with a side grin, the very one that made her feel all kinds of things inside, the one only crafted for her, "Well, if you put it that way..."

"We can now say it works..." Usagi nibbled her lower lip shyly, "But I think the study might need further testing, you know... just to make sure,"

Mamoru put his mug down and went to his girlfriend and put his arms around her waist and lifted her up, "As many times as needed, honeybun," he kissed her and sat her on the kitchen bar, "How are you feeling?" Usagi gave him a wide grin, "Happy."

Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and closed his eyes, savoring every second with her by his side, "Me too." Usagi wrapped her arms around his neck and turned to look out the kitchen window, "It seems to be a beautiful day outside,"

"Yeah,"

The blonde let go of her boyfriend and saw him take his mug and poured a cup of coffee, "Did you wake up early to go for a run?"

"No," Mamoru shook his head and took a sip, "I didn't think it was necessary..."

The comment made Usagi blush as she remembered how her dreaded insomnia turned into one of the most sensual and steamiest nights of her life. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and tilted her head, "I can't wait to live with you,"

Almost there, love, we're almost there," Mamoru smiled, "The wedding's coming close,"

"Yes," Usagi nodded and turned to look for her phone, "And speaking of the wedding... my dress is on its way, I got an email from the bridal store,"

"That's great, Usako," Mamoru took another sip of his coffee, "You'll look beautiful, I'm sure."

"You haven't even seen it,"

"Well, you said I am not supposed to,"

"They say it's bad luck,"

"Who does?"

Usagi shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know... people, fate... heaven?"

"Heaven?" Mamoru put his mug down and crossed his arms as he leaned on the counter and arched a brow, "I think we've gone through a lot of things together to believe in these types of superstitions."

"Still, I don't want to jinx it." Usagi giggled, "I really want to marry you, you know? And I want us to have a perfect day."

"We will," Mamoru nodded, "It's going to be special, I promise."

"Have you written your vows?" Usagi jumped from the bar and went to open the fridge to look grab the bottle of almond milk to make a fruit smoothie. Mamoru turned to grab the newspaper and pulled a stool to sit at the bar and started looking through the pages, "No." Usagi put a scoop of her protein powder along with a banana and strawberries and put the lid on the blender and turned to look at her boyfriend as she pressed the button, "You _haven't_?"

"You _have_?"

"I'm working on them..."

Mamoru looked at her and pressed his lips in a tight line for a second, "Do we have to?"

"Well, I wouldn't like the same incident at Motoki's wedding to happen again," Usagi turned to grab a glass to pour her thick and fruity concoction; Mamoru cracked a laugh when he remembered the unexpected turn Motoki's wedding took when it was time for them to say their vows, "I could ask him to bring a box of tissues... you know, just in case,"

"No, _please_... don't." Usagi laughed, "Plus, the *priest asked me to bring him a copy just in case we forget,"

"Alright... I'll work on them."

"But, do it with time... don't improvise,"

"Hey, you said my speech to them was lovely,"

"And it truly was!" Usagi took a sip of her smoothie and chuckled. She leaned on the bar right next to her boyfriend was sitting with glass in hand, "But you know... this is going to be different. You're the groom, and these are _your_ vows, not the toast. What if you get nervous and cry in front of everyone just like Furu-chan did?"

"Motoki didn't cry, he _sobbed_ —uncontrollably, and I am a robot, remember?" Mamoru turned another page of the paper and gave the page a quick read before looking at his fiancé again, "But I get what you mean, I'll work on them, I promise." He finished his coffee, put the paper away, and went to put his mug in the sink, startling the blonde who was still halfway through her smoothie, "Where are you going?"

"Ah, I need to go to the store to buy groceries and other stuff to make dinner, also laundry detergent, softner—bleach... all that."

"And, you are going alone because...?" Usagi blinked, still very confused. Mamoru frowned puzzled, "What?"

Usagi pouted her glossy lips, "You know how much I like doing these things with you,"

"I thought you wanted to stay here and chill..." Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, Usagi widened her eyes and chuckled, "Are you kidding?"

"No," Mamoru blinked "Aren't you tired?"

"I'm fine," Usagi waved her hand and leaned closer, "Plus, I am planning to stay here the whole weekend, I already talked to Minako-chan... she's got me covered. If I get tired, I can sleep when we come back,"

"Alright," Mamoru tapped her nose gently, "You ready?"

"Yep," Usagi nodded and chugged her smoothie and put the glass in the sink and put it to soak, "I'll just go get my shoes,"

"Alright," Mamoru patted his pants' pockets to make sure he had everything with him and turned over his shoulder, "Usako, could you bring me my—" his blinked with surprise when he saw her walking back with her shoes in one hand and his watch on the other and handed it to him, "Here you go,"

"How did you know I was going to ask for it?"

"I've noticed you never take it off," Usagi smiled, "I love that you wear it all the time,"

Mamoru gave her his hand so she could secure it around his wrist, "Of course, I treasure it." He turned to grab his phone and gave it one last glance to make sure he didn't have any new messages and turned to her with a smile, "Okay, let's go."

As they walked to the foyer and they put their shoes on, Usagi her favorite pair of leopard print loafers and Mamoru his trusty black converse; the blonde gave her fiancé a side glance, "Are we walking?"

"Not this time, Buns. There are a lot of things we need to stock the pantry and fridge." Mamoru looked for his keys on the big plate by the door. Usagi pouted her lips, "You're driving, right?" Mamoru chuckled and opened the door for his girlfriend, "Yes, Usako... I'm driving."

O—o—O

A while later, Mamoru drove the car into the parking space outside of the supermarket and turned the engine off. It became a custom of him ever since he started driving, that whenever he had to buy more than the usual bag of rice or bottle of milk, he tended to drive to the other side of Juban where the neighborhoods were less crowded and much more tranquil. Not that he didn't like stores close by, but he felt it was nice to get out of the routine once in a while and plus, he liked to do his shopping at peace.

As they walked hand in hand towards the National Azabu Supermarket, Usagi went to grab a cart and pushed it inside the store and grinned with glee as soon they were welcomed by the music playing in the background, "Ah yes, a supermarket is not a supermarket without the cheesy music," she nudged Mamoru with her elbow, "Eh, eh? Get it? _Cheesy_ —we're at a supermarket... cheese is something you buy at a supermarket... I'm so funny." Mamoru burst to laugh as he followed behind, "Oh my god..."

"I'm a hoot—I know!" Usagi laughed and turned, "Okay, so... where to first?"

"Here's the list," Mamoru handed her a piece of paper; Usagi looked at it as she pushed the cart to one of the aisles and sweatdropped, "You know... I'll never get over you have better handwriting than I do,"

"What are you talking about? You have lovely handwriting, a little messy at times... but lovely," Mamoru mumbled as he turned to his blushed girlfriend, "My talents are more creative..."

"No doubt about that," Mamoru chuckled, "What's in the list?"

"Rice,"

Mamoru looked for the grains aisle and started looking at the many options to choose, taking his time to decide which one was best and put a heavy bag in the cart, "What else?"

"Uh... flour,"

"I think flour is going to be in another aisle," he turned to glance at his smiling girlfriend, "The _magic_ aisle," Usagi gasped, "The pancake aisle?"

"That's the one," Mamoru nodded and turned, "So... what else?"

"Oatmeal, linseed, poppy seeds, almonds..." Usagi widened her eyes and picked a bag, "Oh oh, can we take these?! We _have_ to take these!"

"What are those?"

"Chocolate covered alm—" Usagi fluttered her long lashes, Mamoru nodded "Take them,"

"Yay!" Usagi turned and threw the bag inside the cart like a basketball and looked down at the note, "Poppy seeds, really? You like these?"

"Yeah," Mamoru walked down the aisle looking for the small package, "They're good for concentration... they're packed with good stuff for your brain,"

"Huh, interesting," Usagi pursed her lips and followed her boyfriend, "How do you know all this?"

"I'm a doctor, Buns," Mamoru chuckled and turned to mimic Usagi's little game of basketball and threw the small bag in the cart, "And I like to read... I once found an article talking about them and got my attention," he leaned down to grab the pack of oatmeal and linseed and put them in the cart," he turned to ask Usagi what the next item was on the list and stayed still as he watched her nodding her head to the rhythm of the music playing in the background and he was instantly pulled back in time when he went to buy some groceries at the closest store to his apartment and found Usagi dancing alone in the middle of the hallway, humming the pop song playing like if it was a prayer to the heavens; she was so devoted in her craft that he couldn't help feeling immediately attracted to her joyful and careless spirit. A guy like him, who was coming from a rough patch in his life where impressions counted more than actions and insecurity lurked like the hungriest of beasts, to see her singing and dancing to the music so freely was like a rush of fresh air and now, ten years later, she was still that rush of fresh air he needed in his life and he couldn't feel happier.

Usagi woke something in Mamoru not even he knew how to explain. Sadly, he was always a guy who had to act more mature for his age to take care of matters that weren't part of the life of a normal seventeen-year-old, he didn't take himself too seriously but when he was around others he had to make himself taken seriously. It was a vicious practice that with time numbed his sweet and humorous personality. He was always trying to find a middle point, he was a very centered person but also lonely, very lonely, but with Usagi, all of that seemed to vanish, it was different—a whole new experience. It was like if she woke that curious and unapologetic little boy he didn't know he still had inside of him waiting to come out, the one that had to grow up too fast in a world hungry for appearances. He got easily pulled into her charm and light spirit and her infectious laugh; with her, nothing else mattered, just the moments they crafted together, he felt safe to be himself. She loved him for who he was and not for what he had, not for how he looked like, just him. Every time it was different, whenever they went it was always a new experience because with her there was always something to talk about, there was always something to bring to discussion and debate, a song to sing, a tune to dance, a treat to eat, a secret to tell, and silly joke to laugh about. Usagi was the fire and Mamoru was the lantern that kept it safe, always together, always needful of each other but at the same time, they were free.

"Bread,"

"H-Huh?"

"We need bread," Usagi turned to her boyfriend and smiled, "I think it's in the next aisle, I'll go get it, where do I meet you?"

"I'll be at the produce section,"

Usagi winked an eye at him "It's a date,"

O—o—O

"I like the bunny better..."

"I've never bought the one with the bunny,"

Usagi scrunched her nose and turned to Mamoru, "Why?"

"I don't know," Mamoru shrugged one shoulder, "I always buy the snuggly bear..."

"Wait a minute..." Usagi narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "You have a bunny for a girlfriend but you don't buy the fabric softener with the happy bunny on it?" Mamoru chuckled, "When I think of you I don't think of fabric softener, or, laundry,"

"Hmm..." Usagi pursed her lips in thought, "Let me smell the one with the bear again,"

Mamoru popped the cap open and leaned the bottle closer to her, "Do you realize we've been discussing this for over twenty minutes like if it's a matter of life or death?"

"I think it's one of those things you think are silly but in reality, are important. This is how all of your clothes and linen are going to smell for a considerable amount of time. You don't want to buy just any scent—each perfume is different. For example, I highly doubt you would want everything to smell of vanilla _all_ the time,"

"Ugh, no..." Mamoru shook his head and leaned closer to take another sniff at the bottle in his hand, "The one with the kid smells like vanilla, I don't like that one,"

"Well, have you seen the creepy face he has? He clearly doesn't like the scent either," Usagi darted a glare at the bottle and shook her head, "He's miserable,"

Mamoru threw his head back in laughter, something Usagi always thought it was like music to her ears since it was very rare to hear him laugh so loud and carefree. The blonde grabbed the bottle with the baby's face on it and took another small sniff, "Yeah... no, this smell _is_ miserable,"

"But you like sweet scents..."

"Well, yes, but this one is like it's chugging its sweetness down your throat."

"Okay, so... snuggly bear or hopping bunny?"

"Hmm... tough call," Usagi sighed, "The bunny looks promising... look at it, it's so happy hopping over the green grass but..."

"But?"

"The snuggly bear is how you smell all the time... and I like it. When I am staying over this is how your bed smells, it's the snuggly bear..."

"Bear it is," Mamoru turned to put two large bottles of fabric softener in the cart, Usagi pouted her lips "But... on the other hand, the bunny..." she gave the product another sniff, "It's different but... lovely at the same time. Look at it! It's so cute!"

"Okay, how about we do this..." Mamoru took the bottle from her hand and put in the cart, "We'll take two bears and one bunny and see what we like more that way, next time it will be easy for you to decide. What do you say? Bunny vs. Bear."

"Oh my god, you're a genius," Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement, "The battle for softness,"

Mamoru nodded, "Game on,"

They continued walking down the aisle and stopped right where the bleach was; Usagi tug on his sleeve, "The bleach... so... which one?"

Mamoru pointed the one with the same creepy baby child on the label, "Let's take that one—if the kid has that scary face is because he knows the power of his bleach and bleach never smells nice so we don't have to worry about that." It was Usagi's turn to crack in laughter and took the bottle with the creepy kid, "Yeah, colors bygone!" She put it in the cart, "This kid better fix my laundry mistakes or else... I'll punish his creepy face in the name of the Moon." Mamoru went to grab a gallon of his usual choice for laundry detergent and put in the cart, "If not, it's fine... we won't trust that kid anymore,"

"I wonder if he was given lemon or something to make him look like that or if it's a natural thing,"

"Maybe he just wasn't having a good day,"

"He doesn't look happy, that's for sure," Usagi smiled and wrapped her arm around Mamoru's as they walked out of the laundry detergent aisle and walked all the way to the dairy and frozen goods section. They almost had everything they need but it was inevitable to take a look around and see what else caught their attention, like the cinnamon rolls Usagi had picked on her way to meet Mamoru at the produce section. The blonde truly enjoyed these moments with her boyfriend; for some reason, it made her feel special and value how involved he is in his life. She remembered her parents going together to the do grocery shopping and never fully understood as to why it took them so long to decide what to take. It didn't make sense until she started doing this with Mamoru and came to realize that doing these simple every day things had a level of complicity and that it was another layer of intimacy in a couple's life. Since Usagi made her engagement official to her parents by showing them the ring on her finger, Ikuko would start to reveal little pieces of advice and the one that stayed with Usagi the most was one she said that you knew you were with the right person when you were aware you had fallen into a routine but you still had fun doing it, and moments like these proved how much she was right.

That was Mamoru for her—the right person. The perfect person to turn something so mundane a fun adventure every single time.

Usagi was enjoying the moment and the company so much she started to nod her head to the rhythm of the poppy tune again, "Why do you think stores use the cheesiest music in existence?" She mumbled as she read the contents of the chocolate ice-cream pint she had in her hands, "It's always the oldest music, the one-hit wonders, the ones that come and go and we never got to say hello or bid farewell—like this one," she pointed a finger up, "It's like the industry divided their music into categories—these go straight to elevators, these go for calls on hold or to assist angry customers, and these go straight for supermarkets,"

Mamoru laughed and turned to hold her hand and pulled her closer to kiss her fully on the lips, they both surrendered to the opportunity to go as bold with their shows of affection without a care since the store was big and mostly empty; this were the glorious perks of not being in the most popular area of Juban. As they stood in the middle of the frozen goods aisle between ice-cream, frozen pizza, and lasagnas, Usagi and Mamoru were locked in their little romantic world and soon after started to sway to the music in the background; the blonde opened her eyes and saw Mamoru was mouthing the words of the cheesy romantic song and giggled by how on point his gestures were to act each high or low note, "Oh my god..." she said between chuckles, "How on earth do you know the lyrics to that song?"

"You don't know it?"

"No!"

"It's like... a staple of corniness,"

"It's so popular you get to know how it goes..."

"That's right,"

Mamoru continued mouthing the lyrics of the song with impressive accuracy on the lyrics with a dramatic flair as he kept leading their dance in the middle of the aisle; he twirled her and turned like if they had been practicing their little ballroom dance for months; their coordination and timing impeccable showing off their fine and royal ancestry. Their little dancing session changed abruptly as the song ended and a new one started playing with the same load of corniness, but this time, and now in a new aisle, the couple started doing a robot dance followed by the running man move that made them break in laughter to a point they couldn't even stand straight; every time trying to improve their skills while choosing what snacks they should buy to watch movies after dinner. Thankful for having this moment to themselves, whenever they walked into a different aisle, there was a different dance—when they were on the canned goods, it was the moonwalk, the cookie aisle, a waltz, when they were on the beverages aisle it was a tango, and when they reached for the cereal aisle, it came a mix between a silly chain of techno dance moves so out of style and coordination it made them fall to the floor choking with unmeasured laughter. This was one of the things no one knew they did, not even the girls. Usagi loved so much to see this side of him he never showed to the world, she could swear that not even Motoki has ever seen him wheezing and having a laugh attack to the point he couldn't stop the tears rolling down his cheeks. Mamoru knew how to be silly, he knew how to be playful—even more than her and that was a lot. The man was so much more than seriousness and maturity, he had the heart of a kid despite being a 27-year-old doctor with a respectable residence in one of the best hospitals in Tokyo. This was a man that had allowed himself to be careless and funny, that had finally given himself permission to be happy and what moved Usagi to tears was that it only happened when she was with him.

This was a side only Usagi got to see and enjoy from Chiba Mamoru and it's like she always said: very damn special.

As long as they had the whole space for themselves they were trying a new routine and if they walked into an aisle with people on them, they instantly went back to act like a civilized couple trying to look for a can of peeled tomatoes or a pack of dry pasta while deciding if it was a good idea to try the gluten-free version. After a long roll of straight on fun, they finally got caught by an old lady while they were goofing around the paper napkins section and quickly tried to fake to be in the middle of a serious discussion of what they later realized it was about toilet paper. The couple tried to ignore the awkward glance from the elderly woman that was clearly annoyed by their overjoy and energy, but after many failed attempts of running away from her only to end up the same aisle as her and get the same creepy judgmental glare every single time, they decided it was their time to pay and head back home to start making dinner.

"Is she gone?" Usagi asked between muffled giggles as she put another paper bag with groceries in their cart. Not even when they opted to skip the line and pay at a self-checkout station, they were freed from the old woman's judgment. Mamoru turned slowly over his shoulder and pursed his lips when he felt the old lady's piercing eyes on him and shook his head, "Nope," he muttered under his breath when he felt the uncomfortable presence close by, "She's coming this way,"

"What's with her?"

"No idea,"

"I'm telling you... she started following us after the toilet paper incident,"

"She didn't appreciate our killer dance moves,"

"What a killjoy lady,"

"Yeah..."

"I can feel her eyes on me," Usagi mumbled softly and widened her eyes when she saw her standing in the station next to Mamoru, "Ahhh! She's here! I want to go home!"

"Yeah... I can feel her vibe," Mamoru tried his best to ignore her as he swiped his card and tapped his password to approve the purchase before putting it back in his wallet and helped Usagi push the cart out of the store. Usagi leaned her head on Mamoru's arm as they as they walked to their car and sighed as she put her sunglasses on, "You okay, Usa?"

"Yeah... just a little tired,"

"We'll be home soon,"

"That's okay..." Usagi smiled, "I can always rely on coffee to keep me up,"

"That's quite of a risky move, Usa, we would have to stay up all night again..." Mamoru closed the trunk of his car and opened the door for his girlfriend; Usagi smirked with mischief as she got in the passenger's seat and turned to give him a mischievous glance, "Well, if it is for the sake of science, I don't mind at all."

O—o—o—o—O

-Six weeks later-

Usagi pushed the glass door open and stepped aside to let her husband make his way out of the café where they just had a late breakfast, "Looks like it stopped raining, but, be careful with those crutches." She looked up at the sky and while there were still big rain clouds hovering over the city, the shiny rays of the afternoon sun peeked from time to time, forcing the couple to wear their sunglasses. The silver-haired waited for her husband and rested her hand on his back as they slowly made their way to the car since his hands weren't free to hold. She quickly unlocked the doors and helped Mamoru take the passenger's seat and opened the trunk to put the crutches in and went to take her seat behind the wheel, no longer showing any signs of nervousness for having to be the one doing all the driving.

"Ah, that was a good brunch," Usagi said with content; Mamoru nodded with a smile "It was very good, this is a nice place,"

"Yes, I came with Minako-chan not long ago but we only had tea," Usagi puckered her lips playfully, "I was starving..."

"Me too," Mamoru tucked a piece of her long fringe behind her ear, "Feeling better?" Usagi let out a heavy sigh and nodded, "Much better..." she turned to her husband and smiled, "I love you,"

"I love you too,"

"Thank you for everything."

"Of course," Mamoru cupped her cheek, "Anytime,"

"I hope Megumi likes the apple pie I bought for her..." Usagi turned to put the box in the back seat and turned back to adjust the rear-view mirror, "She's a sweetheart and she has never left my side."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Mamoru smiled. Usagi leaned closer to kiss him on the lips and pulled back to turn the car engine on, "Well, this has been quite the day: I quit my job and get fired on the same day, we went to the hospital and you dealt with the board and your medical leave, then came to have some very good brunch, and now, are we going back home?"

"Not yet, love," Mamoru slightly pushed the frame of his ray ban's with his finger in a quick, elegant move while he checked some messages on his phone, "We have one last stop to make..." he put his device on the cupholder and turned to look at his wife with a playful snicker only she could recognize, "We need to go to the supermarket." Usagi grinned with mischief, "Ahh... so it's time to put more _kiwi-ng_ moves to the test?" Mamoru threw his head back in laughter, there it was again, that thick and carefree sound she loved so much to hear, "Ah, you're a hoot, it never gets old,"

"I know! I'm super funny!" Usagi laughed as she pulled the car out of the café's parking space and joined the traffic, "So, which one we should go? We're at Roppongi, what do we have close?"

"Hm... I think there's one a couple of blocks from here, let's go there so you don't have to drive all the way to the one we usually go, plus, I'm not in the mood to run into the angry lady," Mamoru muttered as he looked out his side window. Usagi chuckled, "Oh right, we've been seeing her a lot lately..."

"And she's always so angry..."

"What the hell, right?"

"Yeah," Mamoru frowned and let out a soft grunt, "Oh, speaking of the angry lady, please remind me to buy some pain relievers while we're there..." Usagi stopped at a red light and turned to look at him with worry, "Mamo-chan, I can drive you home and come to the store with Megumi, I don't want you to hurt yourself,"

"Nah, I'm fine, Buns," Mamoru turned and gave her a reassuring smile "I like doing these things with you and we both needed to get out of the apartment for a while,"

"We should have asked Megumi to come, I was so upset about the whole thing with Yuki that I couldn't think of anything else... I feel bad," Usagi pouted her lips, Mamoru tapped her cheek, "I asked her, don't worry. I told her we were going be out for half a day but she said she preferred to stay."

Usagi turned the car around another corner around the district when she spotted a store in the distance and stopped at a small parking lot across the street. She was the first to get out of the car and went to help Mamoru with his crutches and crossed the small street into the store. She turned to grab a cart and put her purse over the small children's seat while making sure her husband wasn't left behind, "You okay?"

"Yes, Usako, lead the way,"

"They don't seem to have those little carts with a motor for you to sit," Usagi pursed her lips as she looked around, "And you're too big to fit inside this cart." Mamoru laughed, "I don't even think it's allowed, Usa," he turned to grab a sheet to read whatever specials they had and followed Usagi to the fruit and vegetable section, "This place seems to be much more upbeat with their music," Usagi smiled as she grabbed a few plastic bags and handed one to her husband, "Yeah," Mamoru answered weakly as he gave a quick scan at the apples he was picking and put them in a bag and turned to see his wife pouting her bright red lips, "What's wrong Usako?" Usagi hummed, "Should we take some peaches? We never eat peaches but they look so plump and sweet,"

"Sure, whatever you want," Mamoru put a small box of blueberries inside the cart and frowned slightly, "No carrots, right?"

"Well, I don't like them but if you feel like eating carrots, I'm not gonna say no to you," Usagi mumbled as she picked a couple of peaches, "Maybe if I try to bake a tart? Do you think Megumi knows how to bake?" She turned to look at her husband over her shoulder when she didn't get a response. It didn't take long for Usagi to notice his usual playful mood was slightly toned down and tilted her head with worry, "Is your leg hurting too much, Mamo-chan?" She widened her eyes, "Oh, pain-killers—don't forget the pain-killers!"

Mamoru turned to her with a charming smile and pinched her cheek, "Thanks love," he turned to grab a pack of strawberries and more bananas for Usagi's morning fruit smoothies and put them in the cart, "I'm fine, it's nothing I can't take,"

"This is so you," Usagi frowned "Trying to prete—"

"What is lovee? Baby don't hurt me... don't hurt meee... no mooore!" Mamoru turned dramatically to sing along taking Usagi by surprise when he started singing the song playing in the background. The silver-haired watched him wide-eyed while he continued moving his head side to side while singing with deep sentiment as if he was the artist and moved to the beat of the song while picking a few packs of vegetables. Usagi couldn't contain her laughter anymore and joined him in his intense headbanging and started singing the chorus with him without a single care to whoever might be staring at them.

Usagi admitted to herself she was worried about how much Mamoru would change after regaining all of his memories and his life as Endymion; true, he had been clear about how he wasn't trying to fit into just one standard mold or belief on how he was supposed to live his life. To him it wasn't a take it or leave situation anymore, he didn't even pay attention to how he was called, Endymion or Mamoru, he thought of it as a middle name and he responded the same way to any of them. It was clear he no longer felt lost and that he was finally at peace with the truth of his upbringing and his family, but something deep down still made her wonder just how much their lives were going to change now that they had awakened and how much of those silly moments would follow them into this new stage of lives but as she saw him smiling with so much lightness and moving along with the corny music it became clear to her that nothing had really changed, with them it has never been ordinary—normal or divine, in the end, they were two people madly in love sharing the same dream. At that very moment, their longtime motto became a valuable truth: to the moon and back to the world they belonged.

This is where they belong, the world they made for themselves every single day.

The couple continued doing their little routine of going aisle per aisle looking at things they would need to take while singing without a care in the world since Mamoru couldn't join Usagi with some killer dance moves due his current handicap situation. They had gone through their usual debate about which softener they should take, which paper towels were best, which snacks were worthy of being purchased again and how Usagi had a strange fascination for scented candles until they finally were at the pharmacy section. Among the many brands and options of pain relievers available, Usagi secured her arm around Mamoru's and stood quietly by his side while he took his time to decide which one could work best for the type of wound and level of pain he had.

"What exactly are you looking at?"

"The milligrams and components,"

"Aren't all pain-killers the same?"

"Nope,"

"Really?"

"Yep," Mamoru's lips curved in a faint smile while reading the label and turned to his wife, "Different injuries, different level of pain,"

"How can you memorize all this..." Usagi blinked, "It's amazing..."

Mamoru chuckled as he put the bottle he had in his hands back on the shelf and took another one, "Well, you kind of catch on—but medicine is something that needs to be in a constant upgrade, doctors never stop studying."

"Good thing you're a nerd," Usagi snickered when she felt her husband's elbow nudging her, "You married this nerd," Mamoru chuckled; Usagi leaned her head on his arm, "And I love him with all my heart,"

"He loves you too."

"Oh, you know what?" Usagi snapped her fingers and widened her eyes, "I'll go check if there is protein powder, I am almost out," she turned to look at him, "What kind did you say I must look for?"

"Just one that says it gives you at least 15 grams of protein and 2 grams of sugar—tops." Mamoru kept reading the label of the small jar he had in his hand, Usagi nodded, "Alrighty Isha-sensei, I'll be right back."

"Okay... I'll be here..." Mamoru answered softly and put the bottle back on the shelf and grabbed another one and started reading its contents completely unaware that he had been observed for the past couple of minutes.

"Mamoru...?"

Mamoru blinked a little taken by surprise and turned to look over his shoulder at the person standing on the other side of the aisle and stayed silent. The young woman looked like she was in her late twenties, her chest-length dark hair was styled in loose waves and pulled back with a thin light blue scarf. "Chiba Mamoru," she looked at him as if she was still a little hesitant to believe whether he was the person she thought he was and narrowed her eyes, "Is it you?"

Mamoru took a moment to respond and widened his dark blue eyes when he recognized those big round eyes and gaped with genuine surprise, "Keiko..."

Keiko went over to him and covered her mouth but the surprise in her big brown eyes was far too hard to hide, "Oh my god... _oh my god_... it really _is_ you!" She was close to giving him a hug but stopped mid-way and pulled back "I can't believe it!"

Mamoru's smile widened, "What, no hug? We meet again and treat us like strangers?" Keiko chuckled and waved her hand in a casual manner, "Well, you know me, I didn't want to be invasive of other people's personal spaces,"

"Come here," Mamoru leaned closer and wrapped his arms around her and patted her back softly, responding to Keiko's joyful hug—this was the true power of friendship and nostalgia mixed together, "Oh wow," she stepped in her tiptoes and chuckled as she pulled back, "You are even taller of how I remembered you!" Mamoru chuckled, "I've been told,"

"Oh my god... how long has it been?" Keiko tapped her chin in thought, "Ten—eleven years since we last saw each other?"

"Yeah... something like that," Mamoru nodded, "I barely recognized you with your hair this long,"

"I get that a lot," Keiko ran her hand through a long lock of hair and chuckled, "I really liked having short hair but I decided to give it a go for once and try growing it... I thought it was time for a little change," she smiled with genuine pleasure to see him and couldn't help feeling a knot in the back of her throat. It was like time rewinded in the most strange of ways and they were back at the store, talking like good friends during breaks. "Look at you all handsome," she said with content, "With all due respect, you look very good."

"Thanks," Mamoru blushed softly and chuckled, "You too,"

"I have to confess, I saw you around the dairy section but I wasn't sure if it was really you until I saw those peculiar deep blue eyes I clearly remembered seeing before but I didn't want to pry, so, when I passed by and saw you here I couldn't help asking,"

"Well, I'm glad you did," Mamoru smiled, "So, how have you been?"

"Very good," Keiko propped her arm on her cart's handle, "You know, life comes with its ups and downs but I've been doing well. I am still helping my father with the business and we managed to open two meat and cheese boutique stores around Minato but we are keeping it local friendly." She raised her left hand and showed him her hand and smiled, "In the process, I met someone and got engaged," Mamoru chuckled and held her hand to look at her diamond ring, "Wow, look at you..."

"I know right? Who would have thought,"

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"Watanabe Riku, his family has managed this little business of cheese for generations, they have a small farm in Kyoto. One day he went to introduce their products to the store and... I don't know, we instantly clicked—we have many things in common, books, music, ideology... pretty much like we did. So, basically, he's one of us."

Mamoru chuckled, "That's great, Keiko, congratulations." The corner of his lips curved up with melancholy, "It sure brings me back in time—all this. You remind me of someone..."

"Mao-san," Keiko smiled with that same melancholic feel, "I thought so too..." she patted Mamoru's arm, "I learned she passed away not long after I left... I'm very sorry, I know you were close with her and her family."

"She helped me go through a lot of hard times. I truly miss her."

"Yes... she was one tough woman, but also very kind-hearted." Keiko grinned, "Remember how she always baked the most random pie combinations and made us eat them at the store?" Mamoru chuckled, "Yeah... I still can't get over the blackberry and sweet potato one she made one time..."

"Oh, yeah! Holy smokes... that one stayed in my palate for weeks!" Keiko cracked a hearty laugh, "I think that pie made me step away from anything sweet for years!"

"Me too," Mamoru smiled, "I am truly happy for you, Keiko, I wish you all the best in your marriage,"

"Thank you so much, Mamoru, I truly appreciate it." Keiko gave him a sweet smile, "We're marrying this fall at his family's ranch in Kyoto." She smiled shyly, "It would be great if you could come,"

"Really?" Mamoru blinked surprised, Keiko grinned, "Of course! Hey, I know it's super random considering how much time has gone by without seeing each other but... I would love it."

"No, not at all, I am truly honored to be invited," Mamoru smiled and looked for a card in his wallet and pursed his lips, "Hmm... I don't have a card with me but—"

"Oh! Don't worry, here—" Keiko typed her number on her phone and showed it to Mamoru, "Send me a text at this number so I can add you to my contact list and send you a much proper invitation," she smiled and narrowed her eyes with curiosity, "So... what's been going on with _you_? Am I sending an invitation for one?"

Mamoru chuckled as he finished typing Keiko's number in his cell and showed her his left hand when he returned the phone, "Two," Keiko's round brown eyes widened with surprise "What! You got married!?"

"Yep,"

"When did this happen?!"

"Three weeks ago,"

Keiko grinned happily, "Aww, you're a newlywed!" Mamoru chuckled and nodded, "Pretty much,"

"Oh my goodness! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Mamoru's chuckle died down when he saw Keiko's smile quickly fading with slight concern, "What?"

"...Is it Chieko?" Keiko narrowed her eyes with caution. The way in which the young woman was asking made Mamoru crack a hearty chuckle, Keiko frowned, "What's so funny?"

"The look on your face..." Mamoru crossed his arms, "Priceless,"

"Well, did you? You really married her?" Keiko sighed softly, "You did, didn't you?"

"No," Mamoru laughed again and shook his head, "Goodness no..."

Keiko tilted her head, "You're not trolling me, right?"

"No, why would I?" Mamoru chuckled, "I'm telling you the truth,"

"It didn't work out in the end?"

"No,"

"Aw... I'm so sorry,"

"Are you?"

Keiko tried to hold her laughter, "Y-Yes..." Mamoru arched his brow in curiosity, "Are you, _really_?"

"Okay no..." Keiko finally broke character, "I am not sorry, to be honest, I am genuinely relieved." She gave him a curious glance, "Pardon my curiosity and invasion of privacy, but, may I ask what happened between you two?"

"It's fine, don't worry," Mamoru shrugged his shoulder, "It was really nothing that could come as a surprise to you. We wanted different things, we led different lives, we thought differently—we were different."

"But, how long did you two stayed together?"

"A year,"

"You know, I always had the feeling that she held some sort of grudge towards me," Keiko frowned, "She was always so defensive and strange when I was around and to be honest, that was one of the reasons I kind of stepped back and let you do your thing. I didn't want to cause you any more problems that I knew you already had. You had _a lot_ going on..."

"I don't know if it still means anything after all these years, but, I am sorry for everything, Keiko." Mamoru sighed softly, "I'm truly sorry; it wasn't you... I just... disappeared. I stepped back not just from you and our friendship but from everything and everyone—even Mao. By the time I went looking for you to offer you an apology I was told you moved away and had no clue of how to contact you. I felt bad because you were truly my only friend and I neglected you because of my problems with Chieko."

Keiko smiled sadly and patted his arm in support, "Mamoru, don't worry about it. I never thought of you as someone that neglected me or our friendship, I totally understand. To me, we never stopped being friends; when I was told of Mao-san's passing and came back, I went to the store looking for you but her husband told me you left right after and that you had moved to a different district... I felt bummed because it felt like we end things badly and that was totally not the case."

"Yeah—she fired me."

"What?"

"Mao—she fired me." Mamoru's chuckle held a hint of sadness "The day before she passed away."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No," Mamoru chuckled again, "She did fire me." He sighed "I was having the worst of times... I was trapped in the weirdest whirlpool of emotions and Mao cut right through it—like she always did. After one hour of pure and brutal scolding, she finally made things clear for me and fired me. I think it was her way to say goodbye—it's like if she knew her time was coming. Soon after, I ended things with Chieko, packed my things, and left."

"That sounds like something Mao-san would have done. She looked after you until the very last breath of her life—what a marvelous woman," Keiko blinked with interest, "So, where did you go? What's been of your life since then? But most importantly... who's the girl that got to keep your heart?"

Mamoru smiled, "I stayed in the same district, I moved to AzabuJuban. I finished high-school and went straight to Med School. I work at Tokyo Hospital."

Keiko's grin widened, "Hey! You did it! You really became a doctor, that's so great!"

"I did," Mamoru's smile widened, "And about the girl who captured my heart, her name is Usagi. We met while I was still in high school, and well, after so many years together, we finally got married."

"You're so sweet. Your face lits up just by saying her name," Keiko grinned "You married your high-school sweetheart, can you be any cuter?" Mamoru chuckled, "What can I say? I am a very lucky man, she's—"

"Okay, Mamo-chan, after an exhausting search, I think I found one! What do you think? It's good, no?" Usagi walked into the aisle with her eyes fixed on the contents printed on the label, "Though... it's not chocolate, I don't know how to feel about this 'neutral' flavored one..."

Keiko and Mamoru turned to Usagi who widened her eyes when she saw her beloved husband talking to the young woman, "Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to interrupt," she smiled, "Hi,"

Mamoru turned to Keiko, "And she's here—meet my wife, Usagi." He turned to Usagi with the same sweet smile, "Usa, meet my friend, Nomura Keiko,"

"Oh!" Usagi's eyes lit up with glee and offered her hand out to Keiko, "It's so nice to meet you! It's always so nice to meet Mamoru's friends,"

Keiko blinked with genuine surprise by the woman in front of her and how she didn't send any weird vibes of jealousy by seeing her talking to her husband with so much familiarity. Keiko quickly responded to Usagi's kind gesture and took her hand in a friendly shake and it when paid a closer look at how beautiful she is and that she had what she would describe as a million-dollar smile. While her politeness came up front, she could see the silver-haired woman was a friendly and outgoing person—a complete opposite to Mamoru's much more reserved personality. She didn't need much to understand why Mamoru felt like the luckiest man in the world, this was a woman in a higher level than Chieko ever was and it was clear to her that she made her friend extremely happy, which for her, it was all that mattered.

"It's so very nice to meet you too, Usagi-san,"

"Ah," Usagi waved her hand and chuckled, "No need for honorifics, just Usagi is more than fine."

"Well, in that case, I'm also just Keiko. Please excuse my blunt behavior but, you are one gorgeous lady, Usagi," Keiko's smile widened, feeling much more relaxed and looked up at Mamoru, "You truly are one lucky guy," Mamoru nodded, "I am."

"Thank you, that's so sweet of you," Usagi blushed and tilted her head, "So, how is that you two know each other? Are you a doctor too?"

"Oh, no—" Keiko chuckled and shook her head, "I wish... no, I have a small meat and cheese boutique shop, here in Roppongi." she turned to Mamoru, "This is where I live now,"

"Oh, that's so nice!" Usagi smiled with awe; Mamoru put his hand on his wife's shoulder, "Her father started as a butcher and Keiko used to supply the store I worked as a clerk when I was fifteen, that's how we met and became friends."

"Oh, so you go way, way back! That's so cool!" Usagi's smile turned into a large grin, "We should go have dinner sometime, I would love to know more of your adventures."

Keiko laughed, "Oh, that's going to need more than just one dinner..." she smiled, "That sounds like a lovely idea, actually, I was telling Mamoru that I am getting married this fall and that it would be lovely if you two could join us."

Mamoru smiled as he watched Keiko interacting with Usagi with the same lightness she talked to him. If he didn't know them, he would have guessed they were friends before they even met and it made him think how great it would have been if they hadn't lost touch for so many years. Things were finally falling into place; his life was suddenly taking a new leaf—a brand new turn that was closing all the loopholes that at the time didn't make any sense. If there was something about Keiko Mamoru had known since day one is that she isn't the kind of woman that was good at faking; she was open-minded and adaptable to change but she wasn't too into pretention and that was the number one reason she never got along with Chieko but seeing her talking to Usagi with so much interest was truly something unique. He could tell that if given more time, they could become really good friends, even closer than how she and Mamoru were.

"Mamo-chan?"

"U-Uh, yes?"

"Did you find the pain reliever you were looking for?" Usagi looked at him with interest; Keiko widened her eyes when she realized her longtime friend was holding onto a pair of crutches and covered her mouth in shock, "Oh goodness! I was so engrossed in our little reunion I didn't even notice you were hurt! What happened to you?"

"Oh," Mamoru chuckled, "I had a little accident..."

" _You_? An accident?" Keiko arched her brow and crossed her arms in blunt disbelief, "Since when are you the clumsy type?"

"I may have something to do with it," Usagi joked, trying to lighten the real reason behind his injury, "I'm super clumsy and well... he's always trying to save me from crashing my face on the ground,"

Keiko laughed, "I don't know, maybe it's the age," Mamoru chuckled, "Maybe, I'm getting old,"

Keiko smiled and looked down at her watch, "Oh my! Look at the time! I had to meet my fiancé for a wine tasting for the wedding like... twenty minutes ago! Aww too bad I have to go!"

"Ah, it's perfectly understandable..." Usagi waved her hand and nodded, "Planning a wedding is _a lot_." She turned over her shoulder, "Right, Mamo-chan?"

"Mhmm..." Mamoru nodded and let out a soft sigh, "A true test of patience,"

"Oh my god, right?! Who knew it could become such a nightmare at times?" She laughed and shook her hand, "It was so lovely meeting you, Usagi." She smiled shyly "Can I?" She motioned her head at Mamoru, silently asking Usagi if she was okay with her giving him a hug which Usagi immediately nodded in response and stepped aside. Keiko went to give her longtime friend the heartiest of hugs and smiled, "It's so great to see you doing so well. I always wondered how you've been, I always prayed for you to be alright... I'm so glad to know you are in such a wonderful place in your life—please don't be a stranger,"

Mamoru responded the hug the same way and closed his eyes and nodded, "It's so good to see you too, Keiko, I promise I won't. You have my number."

"She's a jewel—take good care of her." Keiko patted his back and pulled back, "Or else, you won't hear the end of it." She turned to Usagi, "And I will gladly accept that invitation for dinner—there is so much to catch on! Oh, and expect the invitation to my wedding, I want to see you there, okay? See you soon!" She waved her hand and turned to walk away.

Usagi turned to her husband and saw a gleam she could tell was full of nostalgia; she didn't need to ask much to know this meeting was fated to happen and that deep down, it's something he wanted. There was something in the way they were talking that made her wonder more about that part of his life that now that she knew Chieko and now, Keiko, it gave a much wider glimpse that it was much more emotional than she ever imagined. Her crystal blue eyes widened when she felt his warm hand taking hers and looked up to meet him in the eye, "She is very nice," she smiled, "I really hope we can get together soon," she turned and cupped her husband's cheek lovingly, "I could see the same excitement in her eyes, where you close?"

Usagi's simple question made Mamoru reconsider his stance when it came talking about his past. Not that it was a secret, Usagi did know many things not many did, like his life at the orphanage and how he had a very humble start in his teen years; how he later had to become an adult ahead of time to survive in the real world and later, how his life had changed when he was able to make use of some of the inheritance his deceased parents had left him. Slowly, over the course of ten years, Usagi had patiently waited for him to open up and had gladly taken every little glimpse of that part of his life he considered to be blurry and painful. Without ever asking, Usagi has always been supportive and attentive—respectful and understanding and even had endured some hard times like when she found the truth about Chieko. Meeting Keiko after so many years finally gave Mamoru the closure he needed to be on his way and Usagi as his wife, deserved to know. She deserved to know what he only had the courage to tell Motoki once, she deserved to know the root of his essence and what made him be the man she has loved and tried to understand for so many lifetimes.

"Yes," Mamoru nodded, "We were very good friends," he knew Usagi would respect his privacy if he decided to put the matter aside but it wasn't fair and it didn't make sense anymore. With a soft sigh, Mamoru put the small bottle of pills in the cart and cupped his wife's cheek, "Ready to go home?" Usagi nodded, "Yes, Sir, I am." She giggled and laced her fingers with his as they headed for the self-checkout station; Usagi helped her husband scan all the items while he slid his card to pay and typed the pin on the screen and let out a soft sigh, catching his attention, "You okay Buns?"

"Yeah..." Usagi put the things in paper bags and then back in the cart, "I was just thinking... how is it that you lost touch with her, she seems like a very nice person,"

"She is," Mamoru put his wallet back in his pants and walked with her out of the store toward their car, "She was my only friend at the time but my hectic schedule at work, school, and my problems with Chieko, made me lose sight of her—she moved out of town to help her father expand his business and we lost touch. We never got to say goodbye and we never saw each other again."

"Until now,"

"Until now, yes." Mamoru nodded and opened the trunk and helped Usagi put the bags inside, "Soon after that, I moved to Juban, got the apartment, and started over. In the process, that's when I became a night thief and continued my search for the girl of the hair of moonbeam—you."

Usagi blushed and tried to keep her tears at bay; she put her hands on each side of his face and looked into his eyes as the golden hour tainted their faces with the intense and wonderful colors the sun painted in the sky as it slowly set in the horizon, "Say, Endymion... if I ever get lost and lose sight of you, would you look for me?"

"Usako..." Mamoru looked at her, puzzled, "What kind of a question is that?" Usagi tilted her head to the side and pouted her lips while she looked at him with puppy eyes, "Would you?"

Mamoru leaned down until he was close enough to brush his lips with hers and took a deep breath, "Serenity... if I ever lost sight of you, I would go to the very depths of the universe if it's necessary... wherever I need to go, whatever I need to do—whoever I need to fight against, I would do it until I found you and bring you back with me."

Usagi stood in her tiptoes and closed whatever space was left between them with a deep and loving kiss, her hands curled in his hair and took a deep breath as she gave everything in her soul to take over the intimate action; after a couple of minutes, she parted and looked into his royal-blue eyes, "To the Moon and back..." Mamoru nodded and combed her long silvery fringe aside, "...The world we belong, until the very end of time."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _*Robusta coffee is a type of bean that has higher levels of anti-oxidants and has a much bolder-earthy flavor. Also, high in its levels of caffeine._

 _*You can find the reference for the "Cosmic Romance" project Usagi is working on and the second part of this chapter in Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife, chapter 54._

 _*Weddings in Japan: W_ _edding ceremonies have since the mid-1990s displaced the Shinto rite and continue to remain Japan's wedding ceremony of choice. Christian wedding ceremonies have in the last thirty years moved from the sideline to the mainstream of Japanese society. The popularity of Christian wedding ceremonies represents new widespread acceptance, commercialization, and popularity of a religious ceremony. The postwar history of Christian wedding ceremonies is best understood in light of the efforts made by traditional Christian churches and the bridal industry to meet the religious needs and demands of Japan's largely "nonreligious" (mushūkyō) constituency_


End file.
